Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide

Transcription

Lands
of dark
Peril
await
This 4th Edition DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules
supplement contains the tools a Dungeon Master
needs to run a D&D® campaign in the FORGOTTEN
REALMS® setting. The book includes background
information on the lands that make up the continent of
Faerûn, a town in which to start a campaign, adventure
seeds, new monsters, ready-to-play characters, and a
full-color map of Faerûn.
Use this material to run a FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign
or to add new elements to any D&D game.
For use with these 4th Edition DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® core products:
Player’s Handbook® Dungeon Master’s Guide®
Monster Manual® D&D® Miniatures
D&D™ Dungeon Tiles FORGOTTEN REALMS® Player’s Guide
®
FORGOTTEN REALMS CAMPAIGN GUIDE
FORGOTTEN REALMS® CAMPAIGN GUIDE
Welcome to Faerûn, a land of amazing magic, terrifying monsters, ancient ruins, and hidden wonders.
The world has changed since the cataclysmic events
of the Spellplague, and from this arcane crucible
have emerged shining kingdoms, tyrannical empires,
mighty heroes, and monster-infested ruins. The
FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Guide presents a world of
untold adventure, a land of a thousand stories ready to
be explored.
TM
EAN
ISBN: 978-0-7869-4924-3
Sug. Retail: U.S. $39.95
Printed in the U.S.A.
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R O L E P L AY I N G G A M E S U P P L E M E N T
Bruce R. Cordell • Ed Greenwood • Chris Sims
CAN $45.00
218287200
6/26/08 8:58:34 AM
Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide
®
R O L E P L AY I N G G A M E S U P P L E M E N T
Bruce R. Cordell • Ed Greenwood • Chris Sims
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CREDITS
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Setting details based on the original FORGOTTEN REALMS®
campaign setting created by Ed Greenwood with Jeff Grubb
and the updated (3rd Edition) setting designed by
Ed Greenwood, Richard Baker, Sean K Reynolds,
Skip Williams, and Rob Heinsoo.
Special Thanks to Brandon Daggerhart, keeper of Shadowfell
Game rules based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® rules
created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the later
editions by David “Zeb” Cook (2nd Edition); Jonathan Tweet,
Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and
Peter Adkison (3rd Edition); and Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins,
and James Wyatt (4th Edition).
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contents
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1: LOUDWATER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Raid on Loudwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
The Town of Loudwater . . . . . . . . . . 10
Key Personalities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Loudwater Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Barrow of the Ogre King . . . . . . . . 18
B2. Slaughter Pit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
B3. Contested Hallway . . . . . . . . . 24
B4. Upper Catacomb . . . . . . . . . . . 26
High Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Lair of Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Snake Folk of Najara. . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Bandit Hideout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
High Moor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2: ADVENTURING . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Your Campaign in 1479 DR . . . . . . . 40
Traveling the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Treasures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
3: MAGIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
The Spellplague . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Fantastic Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Earth Nodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Earthmotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Fey Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Mythals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Plaguelands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Portals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Rituals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4: COSMOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The Astral Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The Elemental Chaos . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
The Feywild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
The Shadowfell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
5: PANTHEON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Greater Gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Amaunator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Asmodeus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Bane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Chauntea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Corellon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Cyric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Ghaunadaur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Gruumsh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Kelemvor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Lolth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Moradin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Oghma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Selûne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
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Shar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Silvanus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Sune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Tempus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Torm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
The Gods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Exarchs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
The Primordials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
The Elemental Lords . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Archdevils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Pantheons of the World . . . . . . . . . . 80
6: FAERÛN AND BEYOND . . . . . 82
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Aglarond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Akanûl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Amn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Baldur’s Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
The Beastlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Calimshan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Chessenta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Chult . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cormyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
The Dalelands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Damara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Dambrath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Dragon Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Durpar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
East Rift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Elfharrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Elturgard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Erlkazar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Estagund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Evereska. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Evermeet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
The Great Dale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Halruaa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
High Imaskar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
The Hordelands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Impiltur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Lake of Steam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Luruar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Luskan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Many-Arrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Moonsea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Moonshae Isles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Murghôm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Myth Drannor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Najara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Narfell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Nelanther Isles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Netheril . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Okoth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Rashemen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Raurin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Sea of Fallen Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Sembia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Tethyr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Thay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Thesk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Turmish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Tymanther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
Vaasa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Var the Drowned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Velen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Vesperin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Vilhon Wilds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Waterdeep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Returned Abeir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
The Dusk Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Eskorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Fimbrul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Melabrauth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Relmaur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Skelkor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Sword Lands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Tarmalune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
The Windrise Ports . . . . . . . . . . . 217
The Underdark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Deep Wastes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Earthroot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Great Bhaerynden . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Menzoberranzan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Northdark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Old Shanatar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
7: THREATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
236
Church of Bane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Church of Shar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
The Court of Rorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242
Cult of the Dragon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Drow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248
Eminence of Araunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
The Five Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Gibberling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Malaugrym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
Netheril . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Order of Blue Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264
Reptile Kingdoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Scathebeast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Thay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Warlock Knights of Vaasa . . . . . . . . 276
Zairtail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Zhentarim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
86
NEW MONSTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
87
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Introduction
0
Learn ye well the lesson of the pebble that begets a landslide. Likewise a single betrayal unleashed the
Spellplague, whose consequences yet dance and stagger across Toril, and beyond.
—Elminster of Shadowdale, Year of the Ageless One (1479 DR)
Welcome to
a world where adventurers
delve into the depths to win great treasures of old,
heroes stave off the insidious plots of shadowborn
fiends, undead necromancers vie for absolute mastery
of life, and voracious dragons hunt. Welcome to a land
whose magic-soaked bedrock has spawned millennia
of eye-popping wonders and heart-stopping threats.
Here lies great adventure for those who dare
much. Intrepid wizards defy warnings scribed in the
crumbling stone of ancient barrows. Criminals skulk
in the alleys of noble and ignoble cities alike. Priests
rally the faithful, calling on divine beneficence to aid
companions. Warlocks vie for mastery over ancient
pacts whose origins are better left concealed. Warriors swear allegiances of defense against legions of
enemies too foul to face the light of day.
But here too, evil plots in the darkness, eager to
expand its reach from dripping dungeons, endless
NOT “FR”? NO PROBLEM!
You can take advantage of the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign
Guide (and its companion volume, the Player’s Guide) even
if your campaign is not set in the world of Toril.
All of the concepts and details in this book can work
just as well in a setting that you have devised yourself. In
other words, you can pick and choose, using the parts of
this material that you find most interesting or most compatible with your current setting. By doing so, you can
inject the wonder and intrigue of Faerûn into your game
while keeping all the elements of your existing world that
you and your players have become accustomed to.
For example, the realm known as the Underdark had
its beginnings in earlier FORGOTTEN REALMS products.
Since then, that term and all it encompasses have been
adopted into the core D&D rules. Although you can certainly create your own Underdark if you want to, there’s
a fully developed version of the World Below waiting for
you inside these pages.
Remember, your setting is always unique to you. It is
what you and your players make it. That’s true whether
you use every bit of a book like this one, or whether you
use it as seasoning to spice up the world you’ve already
made.
4
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caverns, ruined cities, and the vast wild places of the
world. Away from the main roads and the great cities,
the countryside is wild and fearsome, hiding roaming
gangs of vicious goblins, spying shades from reborn
Netheril, and outriders of necromantic Thay, as well
as deadly remnants of magical plague.
The world is a place of fey beauty and primeval
malice. It is your land to shape, to guide, to defend, to
conquer, or to rule.
Welcome to the FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign setting. Heroes needed.
The World
Toril is the world that hosts the storied continent of
Faerûn. Bitter winds sweep the steppes of the Endless Wastes, storm waves crash against the cliffs of
the Sword Coast, and in between stretches a vast
land of shining kingdoms and primal wilderness. The
mysteries, secrets, and stories of Faerûn are virtually
limitless.
Abeir is the realm forgotten. A twin to Toril and
once joined with it, Abeir went its own way at the
dawn of the world. Where gods and their servants
oversee Faerûn, the lords of Abeir were towering primordials and elder wyrms, and savagery ruled with
them. Now, after long epochs of separation, Abeir has
joined with Toril once again, in a return both violent
and unlooked-for.
Ten Important Facts
The following points describe the biggest changes
to the world of Toril since the previous edition of
the FORGOTTEN R EALMS Campaign Setting. If you are
familiar with the setting, these will summarize the
major events in the world since 1374 DR, the Year of
Lightning Storms. If you are new to the setting, this
information will give you the basic background that
most inhabitants know.
1. Roughly a hundred years have passed in the world
since the previous edition of the campaign setting. The
current year is 1479 DR, the Year of the Ageless One.
2. The Spellplague has drastically altered the cosmos.
The Spellplague broke out in 1385 DR (the Year of
Blue Fire), the result of unfettered wild magic on the
I N T RODUCT ION
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but in so doing he transformed Thay into a nightmare
land of death. Now the regent is intent on expanding
Thay’s borders so that he can attempt the ritual again.
8. The ancient empire of Netheril has been restored.
The Twelve Princes of Shade rule from their capital
city, Shade Enclave, in a land newly reclaimed from
the Anauroch Desert. Netheril is once again a major
player and a threat to all the northern realms.
9. Ancient elven lineages have returned to Faerûn.
With the reappearance of the Feywild, its natives
have begun exploring the world again. These fey
folk collectively call themselves eladrin, and many
Faerûnian elves have also adopted this name for
their lineage, though they have not forgotten their
traditional cultural distinctions and names. In casual
speech, the world “elven” collectively refers to the two
branches of this fey people: elves and eladrin.
10. Most portals no longer work. The breaking of the
Weave destroyed most of the portals that crisscrossed
Toril, because it destroyed the hard-won knowledge
of arcane casters. Although arcanists have relearned
their craft since the Spellplague raged, most portals
remain nonfunctional or dangerously malfunctioning, broken relics of a legendary past.
What’s Inside
This book provides you, the DM, with information
you can use to run adventures in the FORGOTTEN
REALMS setting. You can also use this book to
enhance your campaign even if you don’t run a
FORGOTTEN REALMS game; see the sidebar on page 4
for more explanation.
It starts with a chapter that provides a campaign
starting point, the village of Loudwater, complete
with a set of encounters to draw a group of player
characters into the setting.
Thereafter, the Campaign Guide covers the great
wide world of Toril, topic by topic. Whether you read
the book from start to finish or begin by dipping into
the sections that most pique your interest, everything
you need to know to bring the setting to life is provided within these pages.
What Else Do You Need?
As with any D&D campaign, you’ll need a copy of
the Player’s Handbook (PH), Dungeon Master’s Guide
(DMG), and Monster Manual (MM) to make full use of
the material in this book. You and your players also
need copies of the FORGOTTEN R EALMS Player’s Guide,
which provides regional benefits, feats, new races, a
new class, and other information useful for creating
and running FORGOTTEN REALMS characters. Words
and terms in this book that are detailed in the Player’s
Guide are designated by a PG symbol.
I N T RODUCT ION
INTRODUCTION
death of the goddess Mystra. Whole countries are
gone, especially in regions south of the Sea of Fallen
Stars. Even familiar lands have become magical and
fantastic in appearance. Islands of rock called earthmotes drift through the sky. Weird towers and spires
of stone jut from the landscape. Spectacular chasms
and waterfalls abound.
All things were sustenance for the Spellplague’s
insatiable hunger—it assailed and transformed flesh,
stone, magic, space, and dimensional walls. Even
the cosmos beyond Toril was affected. Some ancient
realms returned that had been thought gone forever
(such as the Feywild), and entire planes (such as the
Abyss) shifted to a new cosmic structure.
3. Portions of Abeir have fused with Toril. The Spellplague raged even beyond planar boundaries, and
Toril’s long-lost twin world, cut off for tens of millennia, was also caught up in the maelstrom. Large parts
of Faerûn exchanged places with equivalent land
masses on Abeir, bringing their populations with
them. Across the Trackless Sea, an entire continent
of the lost realm reappeared, now called Returned
Abeir.
4. The number of gods has dropped markedly. During
the last century, even deities succumbed to divine
and diabolical plots or to the chaos of the Spellplague.
Of those now absent, many died, some left, and a few
were revealed to be aspects of already extant gods.
Others lost so much power that they became exarchs,
lesser divinities who serve the other gods.
5. The Spellplague left its mark on creatures. Some
effects of the Spellplague persist to this day, especially in the so-called Plaguelands where wild magic
yet rages unrestrained. After exposure to the Plaguelands, some creatures exhibit physical marks called
spellscars. These spellscarred individuals develop
unique abilities, but not without a price.
Victims of the original Spellplague were horribly
changed, not simply scarred, their flesh warped in
unimaginable ways. The abilities of the spellscarred,
though unique, are never as monstrous and powerful
as those of plaguechanged creatures. Luckily, such
monsters are few, and of those, only a handful are
free-willed, mobile threats.
6. Huge Underdark collapses have changed the surface
of Faerûn. As the earth fell away, the level and position
of the Sea of Fallen Stars shifted drastically. An enormous opening into the Underdark has formed south
of the Chondalwood. In addition to this country-sized
hole in the earth, underground shifting has made
the Underdark much more accessible to the surface
world.
7. Thay has become a terrible undead threat. The
former land of the Red Wizards is now under the
control of a single power-mad regent: Szass Tam. He
nearly succeeded in performing a ritual that would
have made him an immortal being. Szass Tam failed,
5
6/17/08 4:50:16 PM
CHAPTER 1
Loudwater
1
The town
of Loudwater sits at the confluence
of the Delimbiyr and Grayflow rivers. The forested
shoulders of the Star Mounts rise above the town
in the northwestern sky. These cloud-veiled peaks
remind the townspeople that beyond the town’s walls
stretch wild lands, where deadly monsters threaten
the unwary.
Merchants, caravan guards, local craftsfolk, hunters,
farmers, and retired adventurers treat the Green
Tankard Tavern in Loudwater as a second home. In
the tavern’s common room, talk turns to tales of hostile
tribes and barrows glimpsed through mists; folk speak
warily of goblins in the Southwood, of the serpent folk
of Najara, and of ancient, ruined kingdoms.
The tavern attracts young and old with its warm
company and tall tales. But before buying an ale
for one of the inn’s regulars, a visitor should think
carefully. Many adventures have started from stories
exchanged over cheap ale and greasy food, but not all
have ended with the glorious exploits of which bards
sing. An old story or a wrinkled map could be the
doorway to adventure—or the path to a quick death.
Help your players create characters appropriate for
the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting. Before sitting down
for your first game session, read through this chapter.
To help your players get a feel for the setting, tell
them a little about the town and ask why each of
their characters might visit or live in Loudwater. (The
Gray Vale entry in the FORGOTTEN R EALMS Player’s Guide
offers some potential character backgrounds.)
Once your players have created their characters
and you’ve read through the beginning of the
adventure, you’re ready to launch a new FORGOTTEN
REALMS campaign.
The player characters (PCs) are in Loudwater’s
South Square (area 2 on the Loudwater map on page
13) early in the morning. Perhaps they are looking
at the display outside Garwan’s Curiosities, leaving
Starra’s Knives, or merely passing through. As the
PCs go about their business, goblin raiders from the
Southwood break through Loudwater’s southern
wall and attack!
6
R A N DY G A L L EG OS
Prepare to Play
CH A P T ER 1 | Loudwater
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RAID ON LOUDWATER
Encounter Level 2 (600 XP)
Setup
The characters start in Loudwater’s South Square.
Place miniatures of the townspeople (T) on the battle
grid as indicated by the tactical map. Then have players put miniatures of their characters in unocupied
squares on the map.
Next, provide the readaloud text and then ask the
players to roll initiative.
This encounter includes the following creatures:
10 goblin cutters (C)
2 goblin warriors (W)
1 goblin hexer (H)
When the goblins attack the South Square, read:
The southern wall suddenly explodes, sending rubble and
dust everywhere. Townspeople begin to scream and flee as
goblins race forward through the hole in the wall.
If a character starts in a square that is filled with
rubble on the tactical map, he or she was standing
near the wall when it fell. That character remains in
that square but takes 1d10 damage and is knocked
prone.
Tactics
The goblins have a round of surprise and use it to rush
into the town. Place their miniatures on the battle
grid according to their positions on the tactical map.
Once regular combat begins, the cutters converge
on the nearest enemy creatures, whether townspeople or PCs. The goblins swarm around an opponent,
cutting off escape. The townspeople have 10 for all
their defenses and are killed if hit. The townspeople
move away from the goblins in the safest way possible
on an initiative count of 10.
The goblin warriors loose their javelins at the closest enemy creatures in sight. They then move toward
Garwan’s Curiosities in an attempt to fulfill their
mission (see “Goblins on a Quest,” below). The goblin
hexer, meanwhile, uses stinging hex on the closest foe
or blinding hex on the most threatening opponent. The
hexer tries to stay within 10 squares of at least one
ally and use incite bravery.
As soon as the goblins become aware of the danger
the PCs represent, they focus their attacks on them.
The goblins’ ultimate destination is Garwan’s Curiosities, and if not stopped, they enter the shop, steal
some items, including the horn totem (see page 11),
and then attempt to retreat back through the hole in
8
the wall. If the door to Garwan’s Curiosities is locked
when the goblins arrive, they break the window (as
a standard action) and seize the items on display,
including the horn totem.
Goblins on a Quest
The goblins are from the Barrow of the Ogre King
(see page 18). The goblin raiders seek to recover the
horn totem, which was stolen from their lair by a
Loudwater resident named Curuvar, who later sold it
to Garwan’s Curiosities.
10 Goblin Cutters (C)
Level 1 Minion
Small natural humanoid
XP 25 each
Initiative +3
Senses Perception +1; low-light vision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 16; Fortitude 12, Reflex 14, Will 11
Speed 6; see also goblin tactics
m Short Sword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+5 vs. AC; 4 damage (5 damage if the goblin cutter has combat
advantage against the target).
Goblin Tactics (immediate reaction, when missed by a melee
attack; at-will)
The goblin shifts 1 square.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common, Goblin
Skills Stealth +5, Thievery +5
Str 14 (+2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Wis 12 (+1)
Con 13 (+1)
Int 8 (–1)
Cha 8 (–1)
Equipment leather armor, short sword
2 Goblin Warriors (W)
Level 1 Skirmisher
XP 100 each
Initiative +5
HP 29; Bloodied 14
Speed 6; see also mobile ranged attack and goblin tactics
m Spear (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+6 vs. AC; 1d8 + 2 damage.
R Javelin (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Ranged 10/20; +6 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage.
R Mobile Ranged Attack (standard; at-will)
The goblin warrior can move up to half its speed; at any point
during that movement, it makes one ranged attack without
provoking an opportunity attack.
Great Position
If, on its turn, the goblin warrior ends its move at least 4
squares away from its starting point, it deals an extra 1d6
damage on its ranged attacks until the start of its next turn.
attack; at-will)
Alignment Evil
Str 14 (+2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Wis 12 (+1)
Con 13 (+1)
Int 8 (–1)
Cha 8 (–1)
Equipment leather armor, spear, 5 javelins in sheaf
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R A I D O N LO U DWAT E R
ROBERT L A Z Z ARE T TI
Goblin Hexer (H)
Level 3 Controller (Leader)
XP 150
Initiative +3
HP 46; Bloodied 23
AC 17; Fortitude 14, Reflex 15, Will 16; see also lead from the rear
m Hexer Rod (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
R Blinding Hex (standard; at-will)
Ranged 10; +7 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 1 damage, and the target is
blinded (save ends).
R Stinging Hex (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅ )
Ranged 10; +7 vs. Will; the target takes 3d6 + 1 damage if it
moves during its turn (save ends).
A Vexing Cloud (standard; sustain minor; encounter) ✦ Zone
Area burst 3 within 10; automatic hit; all enemies within
the zone take a –2 penalty to attack rolls. The zone grants
concealment to the goblin hexer and its allies. The goblin hexer
can sustain the zone as a minor action, moving it up to 5 squares.
R Incite Bravery (immediate reaction, when an ally uses goblin
tactics; at-will)
Ranged 10; the targeted ally can shift 2 more squares and
make an attack.
attack; at-will)
Lead from the Rear (immediate interrupt, when targeted by a
ranged attack; at-will)
The goblin hexer can change the attack’s target to an adjacent
ally of its level or lower.
Alignment Evil
Str 10 (+1)
Dex 15 (+3)
Wis 13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3)
Int 9 (+0)
Cha 18 (+5)
Equipment leather robes, hexer rod
Loudwater Response
The townspeople in the square attempt to flee (speed
6), shifting when necessary to avoid attack. The shop
merchants in the area lock their doors at the end of
the second round (not including the surprise round).
The Loudwater Patrol is capable of dealing with the
goblins, but by the time it responds, the creatures will
have escaped.
Features of the Area
Illumination: Bright light.
Wall Rubble: These squares are difficult terrain.
Merchant Carts: These squares are difficult
terrain.
Well: The well has a small lip to prevent people
from falling in. However, a creature that is forced into
one of the well’s squares might fall the 20 feet to the
bottom. (The creature is entitled to a saving throw to
avoid falling.) The fall deals 2d10 damage, and the
water at the bottom is 5 feet deep. The walls are slick
and require a DC 20 Athletics check to climb.
Doors: A DC 20 Strength check is necessary to
break down a door. A locked door can be unlocked
with a DC 20 Thievery check. Each door has AC 5,
Reflex 5, Fortitude 10, and 20 hit points.
Treasure: The goblin hexer has a message scroll
among his possessions (see “Finding the Barrow” on
page 18 for the scroll’s contents).
Also, if the PCs prevent the goblins from escaping,
Garwan offers them the horn totem as thanks for protecting his shop.
9
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THE TOWN OF LOUDWATER
Loudwater offers a well-defended rest stop for
caravans and riverboats. Nearby communities
such as Llorkh and Zelbross lie in ruins, yet
Loudwater survives, albeit with a diminished
population, which holds steady at about 2,000.
To the north stand the brooding trees of the
High Forest. To the south is the High Moor,
infamous for monsters that lurk in the mists,
guarding the ruins of bygone kingdoms. Loudwater feels like a frontier town despite having
once boasted a greater population. Its days of
boundless prosperity are a century gone, and
most of the town’s current residents, which
include primarily humans and half-elves,
are not old enough to recall them. Loudwater
never fully recovered from the disruption of trade
brought about in the wake of the disastrous Spellplague, yet unlike many towns, it at least still stands.
1. Town Gates
A large gateway leads under a tall wall and opens onto the
streets of Loudwater. Several bored-looking guards stand
watch at the entrance.
Two iron gates, East Gate and West Gate, comprise
the town’s primary entrances. These gates stand open
during the day, leaving a 20-by-20-foot path that
leads through the wall and into the town. A walkway
crosses over the opening, connecting either side of
the wall. Two towers, which are part of the wall, rise
40 feet above a gate. West Gate and East Gate are
closed and locked at night, though they are opened
for people leaving the town. Each of the gates is
staffed by a group of four guards.
Lone travelers and small groups can enter and exit
for free; traders and merchants pay 5 sp per wagon or
cart. Monsters and creatures that resemble monsters
are refused entry (this prohibition does not include
any races from the Player’s Handbook).
2. South Square
Carts and tents surround a large communal well in the
center of this plaza. The citizens of Loudwater bustle about
the area, shopping for food, clothing, and crafts.
Caravanners and river merchants set up carts and
tents along the southern wall near the town’s permanent shops. Player characters looking for food,
supplies, and miscellaneous items might find what
they’re looking for here.
10
3. Garwan’s Curiosities
A sign bearing the image of a unicorn horn, an hourglass,
and the words “Garwan’s Curiosities” hangs at the front of
this store. Windows provide a view of bizarre items, including a shrunken head, candy wrapped in colorful leaves,
playing cards, smoking accessories, fancifully decorated
tankards, and more.
Locals visit Garwan’s to find interesting gifts or to
sell off junk in which Garwan sees value. Strange
items lie tucked away in the dusty nooks of this shop,
though few pieces are of any real value. However,
sometimes rare items pass through Garwan’s, and a
lucky customer comes away with a valuable treasure.
Thus, a stop at Garwan’s Curiosities remains a favorite diversion among locals, especially Loudwater’s
youth.
Garwan: Garwan is a white-bearded, wizened
dwarf, and he is happy to let customers browse while
he sits at the counter puffing on a prodigious pipe.
If asked about a particular item, he remains where
he is and points it out from among the clutter. If he
doesn’t have the item, he shakes his head sadly.
If asked about an item’s origin, he tells the inquirer
who sold him the piece and any story behind it. If
the PCs ask who sold him the horn totem, he says that
the wizard Curuvar recovered the item from a goblin
barrow to the south.
Roleplaying Opportunity: Garwan has a no-account
nephew named Zark. Sometimes Zark hangs around
his uncle’s shop, but the young dwarf never does any
work. See page 17 for more information on Zark.
Items of Note: If a PC is looking for something
outlandish, Garwan’s is the best place to find it. If the
item is not particularly rare or valuable, the character
should find it for sale at a reasonable price.
Horn Totem: When the campaign begins, the horn
totem is on display in the window.
6/17/08 4:52:03 PM
Horn Totem
Level 2
The base of this straight, black horn is wrapped in leather,
giving the object the semblance of a crude dagger. Holding the
totem makes you feel more capable of facing even formidably
sized foes.
Lvl 2 +1
520 gp
Weapon: Dagger
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 damage
Property: Your attacks with this weapon against a creature
larger than you have an additional +1 bonus to damage
rolls.
4. Starra’s Knives
This dimly lit shop smells of oil and steel. The southern wall
has a large display containing hundreds of different knives
and daggers.
No other place in Loudwater offers a better selection
of knives, daggers, and other small bladed weapons.
Many of the blades on display have accompanying names and stories, though the veracity of these
embellishments is doubtful.
Deanna “Starra” Starr: The proprietor of the
knife shop is Deanna Starr, though most people just
call her “Starra.” Folks say that Starra hails from
Tethyr, but they know little else about her. She seems
to have a foul memory attached to her homeland,
which she won’t reveal. The story of Starra’s origin is
left intentionally vague, allowing you to customize
her background and statistics as an adventure hook.
Starra prefers to talk about knives—how they’re
made, how they feel, and the advantages of one blade
over another. In addition to mundane blades, Starra
carries a few magic weapons, which the PCs can
purchase.
5. Green Tankard Tavern
A sign with a green-painted tankard of ale proclaims the
nature of this establishment. The tavern’s large common
room holds a gregarious group that includes townspeople,
riverboat folk, merchants, farmers, and one or two individuals wearing the badges of the Loudwater Patrol.
Called simply “the Tankard” by locals, this roomy
inn and tavern serves as the public house for the
southern portion of Loudwater; the Fisher’s Friend
pub (area 15) serves the northern part of the town,
including the docks. The Tankard offers beer, spirits,
and a variety of expensive wines. Meals are available throughout the day, and rooms can be rented for
overnight stays. Regulars and travelers alike gather
each day to drink, gossip, sing, and engage in games
of chance.
Marsh Laval: This loud, talkative halfling is the
Tankard’s proprietor. He enjoys sitting back to tell a
long story, even to the exclusion of other patrons who
are waiting for his service.
If asked about a particular NPC, Marsh indicates
that person’s location in the tavern if he or she is present or gives the time of day that the person will likely
turn up.
Roleplaying Opportunity: Many of the NPCs
described in the “Key Personalities” section show up
in the Tankard at some point during the day. These
NPCs provide opportunities to engage the player
characters in one or more adventures.
NPCs who don’t appear in the “Key Personalities”
section also frequent the Tankard, including Darden
(area 7), Calla Maran (area 6), and Megana Nistral
(area 8), all of whom provide additional opportunities
for the PCs to interact with Loudwater’s locals.
IMPORTANT NONPLAYER
CHARACTERS (NPCS)
This list includes some of the characters with whom
the PCs can interact. NPCs are also described under
Loudwater’s various locations and within the “Key Personalities” section starting on page 16.
Brosha Manx: Owner of Loudwater Apothecary.
Brother Griffon: Uthgardt foundling and devotee of
Silvanus.
Calla Maran: Proprietor of Loudwater’s general
store.
Captain Harrowleaf: Head of the Loudwater Patrol.
Curuvar the Brazen: Resident wizard of Loudwater.
Darden, Dred, and Drer: Dwarf brothers and owners
of Loudwater’s stable.
Deanna “Starra” Star: Knife shop owner with a hidden
past.
Garwan: Owner of the curiosity shop.
Karzon Kul: Ruffian who frequents the Fisher’s Friend
Pub.
Lady Moonfire: Town leader more interested in adventure than civic duties.
Marsh Laval: Proprietor of the Green Tankard
Tavern.
Megana Nistral: Head of the Loudwater Smithy.
Old Barnaby: Fisherman and teller of tall tales.
Rivermaster Sarl: Overseer of Loudwater’s dock
district.
Sunsteen Urbeth: Loudwater citizen and potential
sycophant of the PCs.
Zark: Greedy freeloader and slaver.
T H E TOW N O F LO U DWAT E R
Maps: Garwan has several maps of dungeons and
ruins, though the pieces are of questionable accuracy.
If you want to make a map available to the characters,
this is a good place for them to acquire it.
11
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6. Loudwater General
8. Loudwater Smithy
A hanging sign shows this large building to be Loudwater
General. From other signs on the storefront, the place
appears to carry everyday goods necessary to those living
on the frontier.
The clank of metal on metal, the hiss of steam, and the roar
of flames issues through the open door of this establishment. A hammer and anvil decorate a sign hanging over
the door.
A person can purchase tools, clothing, food, drink,
simple melee and ranged weapons, ammunition, and
adventuring gear at this store. In Loudwater General,
characters can find items from the Player’s Handbook
of 30 gp value or less.
Calla Maran: The proprietor, Calla Maran, runs
the general store with the help of her stockboy, Raumandar. Raumandar is a foundling discovered on the
shores of Highstar Lake who has an eldritch quality to
him (see the Highstar Lake adventure site on page 36
for more information). Raumandar is quiet and keeps
to himself as he obediently goes about his duties for
Calla. When Calla speaks of Raumandar, she lauds
him for his strength and his devotion to her store. The
middle-aged woman regards him as an adopted son.
If a PC requests an unusual item, Calla says she
might be able to obtain the item at a 20 percent premium over the normal price, but only after a tenday
or two.
Roleplaying Opportunity: If the PCs have successfully defused the goblin threat, either by heading to
the barrow and destroying the creatures or by negotiating with High Shaman Sancossug (see “Barrow of
the Ogre King” on page 18), then Calla asks the PCs
for help dealing with Loudwater’s local crime gang.
If PCs are amenable to Calla’s plea, then refer to
the Lair of Shadows adventure location on page 30.
Here characters can purchase a variety of metallic
wares, including weapons and armor. The smithy
doesn’t have any martial weapons in stock, but
custom requests can be fulfilled within several days.
Megana Nistral: The head smith is a brawny
human female as broad as a dwarf. Megana’s hearty
laugh competes with the hammering beats of her
great mallet. She employs several apprentice smiths
who are in awe of the woman’s stature and blacksmithing ability.
Roleplaying Opportunities: When Megana meets the
PCs, she sizes them up. She is especially drawn to any
male PC whose height is equal to or greater than her
own 6 feet, 2 inches. She buys the character drinks,
engages him in cards, and seeks ways to express
romantic interest.
7. Stables
The earthy scent of hay and manure is strong in this wide
building. The whinny of horses and the snort of oxen
indicates that the building houses many beasts of burden.
Carts, wagons, and other transports are also parked
nearby.
Mounts can be kept here for 2 sp per day. Riding
horses can also be bought and sold at the stables.
Darden, Dred, and Drer: These three dwarf
brothers own the stables. They are the sons of
Garwan, who owns Garwan’s Curiosities. They
manage the facility and employ several assistants who
feed, water, brush, clean, and care for the animals.
Roleplaying Opportunities: The brothers often
grouse about their cousin, Zark. Darden in particular
wonders how Zark has come so suddenly into money
when he never appears to work and has no skill at
cards or luck with dice. Darden expresses concern
that Zark has gotten mixed up with Loudwater’s
criminals, possibly with the Lady of Shadow’s gang.
See page 17 for more information on Zark.
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9. Loudwater
Apothecary
A sign displaying several oddly shaped bottles hangs over
the door of this shop. A dozen different scents waft through
the doorway, including tangy musk, cinnamon spice,
orange peel, baking bread, and gunpowder.
Although the apothecary advertises as a perfumery, the proprietor has recently started selling
oddments and charms, much to Garwan’s ire. In the
apothecary, one might find powdered unicorn horn,
dragon claws, and burnt-out Ioun stones. However,
the worth or authenticity of many such products is
questionable. The apothecary also carries more mundane products, including herbs, roots, and spices,
which are mainstays of Loudwater’s cooks and hedge
wizards. You might also choose to make a number of
low-level rituals available for purchase here.
Brosha Manx: The apothecary’s proprietor, a
half-elf named Brosha Manx, is a thin and listless
individual. His face is scarred, and his hands shake
from ill-conceived attempts to brew potions in his
youth. He is curt and doesn’t enjoy small talk.
Roleplaying Opportunities: Brosha doesn’t pay
for protection from the Lady of Shadows (page 28)
because he is one of her gang members. If the PCs ask
Brosha about Loudwater’s shopkeepers being forced
to pay protection money, he shrugs and says some
might pay, but not him. He won’t take any action the
PCs propose, and he informs the Lady of Shadows
that vigilantes could be after her if he suspects that
the PCs might take action. See the Lair of Shadows
adventure location on page 30 for more information.
CH A PTER 4 | Classes
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10. Patrol Headquarters
The symbol of a crossed sword and axe is blazoned high on
this building. The clangs of metal and shouts from within
indicate a fight might be underway.
This building is the headquarters for the Loudwater
Patrol, and it is where Loudwater’s militia comes to
train. The members of the militia practice twice per
tenday with their fellow volunteers; members of the
patrol practice with greater frequency. On average
about four Patrol members are on duty at any one
time.
Loudwater’s patrollers are not well trained. Each
patrol is commanded by one of four leaders. All are
under the purview of Captain Harrowleaf.
Captain Harrowleaf: The head of the Loudwater
Patrol is easygoing and remains calm and confident
even in the midst of a crisis.
This elf ranger is among the few residents of Loudwater who dwelled in the town at the time of the
Spellplague. He is glad to talk about Loudwater as
it once was, and he makes it clear that he views the
town’s reduction in size as a blessing.
Roleplaying Opportunities: Harrowleaf is unaware
of the extent of the Lady of Shadow’s crime organization, and thus he has not taken action to stop her. If
Harrowleaf learns that the PCs are going after the
Lady of Shadows, he provides them with five patrollers. However, if the PCs’ actions result in the death
of any patrollers, Harrowleaf takes an instant dislike
to the characters. Use the same statistics block for the
citizen patrollers as is used for the human gang members in the Lair of Shadows encounter on page 30.
If the PCs provide evidence that implicates Zark
(see page 17) in a slave ring, Harrowleaf and a patrol
arrest the dwarf, who is then exiled.
11. Tenements and Homes
These dwellings crowd together within the walls, taking
advantage of all available space. The buildings vary in
quality; some appear well kept and house only one family,
while others contain many families that have squeezed in
together.
Hundreds of people live within the protection of
Loudwater’s walls. Some live in multitenant apartments, while more affluent folk possess small houses.
The apartments mostly hold farmers, fishers, laborers, and craftspeople who are too poor to own land.
12. Temple
A temple is separated from the shops, homes, and tenements of Loudwater by a small hedge. The vine-covered
walls of the temple rise high above the walls of Loudwater,
and the spire’s tip appears to reach a full 100 feet above
14
the ground. The symbol of an oak leaf gleams with its own
emerald light above the grand archway leading into the
temple.
This temple is sacred to Silvanus the Treefather,
though worshipers of other benign faiths are also
welcome. The temple is holy ground, and characters
might find its quiet interior a calming respite from
the cares and concerns of adventuring. The interior
walls are painted to resemble the sky, and the main
floor is one expansive area dominated by a grassy
hill around which a crown of trees gently sways in an
endless breeze.
Brother Griffon: The head of the temple is
Brother Griffon. He was an Uthgardt foundling who,
after the destruction of his tribe, was fostered and
raised by a Loudwater fisher. His loyalties divided,
Griffon bridged the gap by becoming a devotee of
Silvanus. Griffon knows Heal- and Religion-based
rituals of up to 6th level.
Brother Griffon is a black-haired, blue-eyed, and
well-muscled human—with his rustic dress, he is
sometimes mistaken for an Uthgardt warrior.
Roleplaying Opportunity: Brother Griffon can be
found in the temple at dawn and dusk, but he is otherwise difficult to locate. He spends his days walking
the Southwood and occasionally takes longer trips
to visit the High Moor and Highstar Lake. If the PCs
show interest in the High Moor, Brother Griffon
offers to guide them there. Brother Griffon knows
most of the stories concerning the High Moor, and he
is glad to share his knowledge with the PCs. However,
if the PCs do intend to venture into the High Moor,
Brother Griffon warns them against going too deep
until they are skilled enough to face the deadly creatures that lurk within. See the High Moor adventure
location on page 36 for more information.
13. Docks Gate
An inner wall, smaller than the walls surrounding Loudwater, separates the town’s northern dock district from the
rest of the town. The gate between the two areas stands
open and unguarded.
This gate remains open unless the town is attacked
from the river, in which case it is closed and protected by guards.
14. Docks
Several large log structures in the northeast section of
Loudwater store the goods of merchants doing business in
the town. By day, people bustle about the area, transferring
barrels and crates between the storehouses and trade ships.
The docks are small and allow only a limited number of
ships to moor. Several small fishing boats vie with larger
6/17/08 4:52:07 PM
Between the docks, storehouses, boats, and pub, this
district is active regardless of the time.
Rivermaster Sarl: The rivermaster sees to it that
ships are loaded and unloaded, fees are levied and
collected, dock space is reserved and transferred,
and the docks are managed efficiently. Sarl is a thin,
weathered man who has more gray hair than brown;
however, his energy never seems to ebb.
Roleplaying Opportunities: Rivermaster Sarl is quick
to notice newcomers to the docks, and he wastes little
time in accosting them and asking about their business. Sarl is suspicious of those who don’t have jobs,
and he doesn’t regard “adventuring” as a profession.
He sizes up the PCs and offers any strong-looking
characters the opportunity to work as dockhands for
6 sp per day.
PCs might also encounter Old Barnaby along the
docks. Old Barnaby is an elderly former fisherman
who likes to recount tall tales. He often tells stories
about the High Forest; in particular, he tells a story
about a ring of albino oaks that surrounds an area of
blackened, petrified trees. He says that folks call the
area the Dire Wood. If the PCs decide to investigate
Old Barnaby’s story, he can tell them where the Dire
Wood is located (see the High Forest adventure location on page 28).
15. Fisher’s Friend Pub
The overwhelming odor of spirits and smoke wreathes
this tavern. Calloused dockworkers and fishers drink and
gamble away their pay. Wizened old men and women sip
their ale in silence, waiting for an opportunity to tell a tale
of the river.
This pub attracts a rougher crowd than the Green
Tankard does. Most folks come to the Fisher’s Friend
to drink and gamble rather than to socialize.
Roleplaying Opportunity: Bar fights are common in
the Fisher’s Friend, and characters looking for a brawl
don’t have to wait long before one sparks up. One particularly notorious brawler, a dwarf named Karzon
Kul, might even pick a fight with a PC. Karzon is a
crony of the Lady of Shadows, so if the PCs humiliate
him in a fight, they could draw unwelcome attention
from Loudwater’s criminal gang. Karzon has a shaved
head and wears tattoos across his body.
Another notable regular of the Fisher’s Friend is
Kyos, who was a pickpocket before the Lady of Shadows had his eye and hand removed for refusing to
join her gang. PCs interested in locating the Lady of
Shadows or learning more about her can speak to
Kyos. See “Finding the Lady of Shadows” on page 29
for more information on Kyos.
16. Manor House
This grand manor house is a jewel of dwarven craftsmanship. The building includes its own stable, buttery, and
servants’ home. The manor appears to be over two hundred
years old, and it looks as though it might weather another
two hundred.
Built by a dwarf artisan for a self-styled elf lord, this
manor house was the seed from which Loudwater
grew. The mansion is currently home to a family of
half-elves descended from the original lord.
Lady Moonfire: This half-elf warlock is regarded
as the head of the town. Her duties include paying
the town officials, collecting property taxes, and
overseeing the conduct of the rivermaster and his
dockhands. However, Lady Moonfire prefers to leave
these obligations to others. She is more interested in
throwing grand balls and social events to which she
can invite rich merchants, caravan captains, well-todo Loudwater citizens, and famous visitors.
Roleplaying Opportunity: If PCs defend the town
from the goblin raiders, Lady Moonfire soon hears of
it and sends invitations to the PCs. On white cards
with inlaid gold script, she entreats them to attend
the next grand ball, which is to occur in two days.
The invitation indicates that the ball is a costume
party, and no one will be admitted without a mask.
If PCs take advantage of this invitation, they have
the opportunity to mingle with Loudwater’s important personages and hear stories of trade, travel, and
far off places, such as Waterdeep, Amn, and Netheril.
Lady Moonfire makes an effort to speak with the
characters, especially if at least one PC is a tiefling.
Lady Moonfire is attracted to tieflings, and she might
court a tiefling character who at any point succeeds
on a DC 15 Diplomacy check while around her.
Lady Moonfire has developed a fascination for the
High Forest, and she is seeking a band of explorers
to accompany and safeguard her on a trip into the
woods. See Lady Moonfire’s description on page 17
for more information.
17. Run-Down Tenement
This decrepit, abandoned tenement building sits dejectedly
in Loudwater’s northwestern corner. No doors or windows
keep out the elements or the squatters.
Everyone in the neighborhood ignores this building
because the abandoned tenement stands over the
subterranean lair of the Lady of Shadows. Members
of the Loudwater Patrol were bribed to overlook the
gang’s presence, and the locals have no one to turn
to for help. If PCs learn of the Lady of Shadows and
come here to investigate, see the Lair of Shadows
adventure location on page 30.
T H E TOW N O F LO U DWAT E R
ships for space along the docks. By night, raucous noises
issue from the pub situated along the west wall.
15
6/17/08 4:52:08 PM
About two thousand people live in and around
Loudwater. A few particularly interesting NPCs are
presented here. Each has information he or she might
impart to the PCs.
Curuvar the
Brazen
This middle-aged man looks as though
he might have stepped from the pages
of an illustrated history of wizards. With a long black beard,
a robe stitched with stars and
moons, a staff set with a fossilized
raven, and a pointed hat, Curuvar
would stand out even among other
wizards.
Personality Traits: Curuvar
is an eccentric wizard who is
suspicious of strangers and
notoriously close-mouthed.
However, once his trust is
earned, it becomes clear he
is fond of the phrase “by
Mystra’s lost spell.”
Favorite Locations:
The Green Tankard
tavern (area 5).
Motivation: Curuvar
seeks information pertaining to the Dire Wood.
Information: Curuvar
doesn’t often share what he
knows. However, if the PCs
press him for information on
the Barrow of the Ogre King and
the horn totem, he relates to them the
directions described under “Barrow
of the Ogre King” on page 18. He also
relates the following:
“Yes, I did indeed sneak into the barrow.
By Mystra’s lost spell, you wouldn’t believe what a dull race
goblins are! My wizardry easily incapacitated them. However, I didn’t find what I wanted. I took the horn totem as
a souvenir. Tell you what—if you recover the matching skull
totem from the barrow, I’ll tell you the truth about the Ogre
King.”
If the PCs enter the Barrow of the Ogre King and
return with the skull totem, Curuvar is impressed. He
doesn’t want the totem; he wanted only to see if the
characters were tough enough to survive the dungeon. When they return, he relates the following:
16
“Your abilities match your ambitions, it seems. By
Mystra’s lost spell, it’s been too long since adventurers
explored the secrets in this area. Anyhow, listen well—the
so-called Ogre King was no mere ogre—it was a being called
an oni, an ogrelike beast with mystical powers. This particular oni inhabited the barrow with a specific purpose in
mind—it sought to learn about the Dire Wood. Those silly
goblins revere the dead oni like it was some sort of demigod.
The goblins never realized the oni was using them as fodder
for its explorations. Ridiculous creatures, goblins.”
If the characters tackle the Snake Folk of Najara
adventure (see page 32) or the Lair of Shadows
adventure (see page 28), then Curuvar is sufficiently impressed to tell them what he
knows of the Dire Wood. Until the
PCs prove themselves, he remains
tight-lipped. Like Lady Moonfire,
Curuvar is interested in Draigdurroch Tower. See the High
Forest adventure location on page
28 for additional information.
Sunsteen
Urbeth
This balding man, probably in his
early thirties, is in excellent shape
except for his right leg, which
is withered and shrunken. He
uses a cane to hobble around.
Personality Traits:
Sunsteen is polite and sycophantic, and he ends many
of his statements with a
second’s pause before saying,
“right?”
Spellscar: When Sunsteen
becomes agitated, a spellscar
visibly manifests (see page 51
in Chapter 3 for some information on spellscars), though it bestows
no powers. When his scar activates, it burns
with blue fire.
Whenever he feels the scar activating,
Sunsteen tries to suppress it, though he doesn’t
always succeed. If the spellscar activates, the characters see him collapse to the ground, clutching his thigh
as the rest of his leg becomes wreathed in blue flame.
Favorite Locations: South Square (area 2) and
the Green Tankard tavern (area 5).
Motivation: Sunsteen is one of the townspeople
the PCs save when goblins attack the South Square.
Sunsteen is motivated by gratitude, believing that he
remains alive only because of the PCs’ heroic actions.
After fleeing from the goblins, he seeks out the characters to thank them. He then continues to frequently
K I E R A N YA N N E R
KEY PERSONALITIES
6/17/08 4:52:08 PM
ERIC DESCHAMPS
Zark
This young dwarf wears black leathers, sports several
tattoos, and wears a belt ostentatiously set with several
silver-hilted daggers.
Personality Traits: Zark is moody and cruel, and
his favorite phrase is “poxed bastard.”
Favorite Locations: Garwan’s Curiosities (area
3), the Green Tankard tavern (area 5), and the docks
(area 14).
Motivation: Zark is a no-account miscreant who
seeks to acquire gold with as little effort as possible.
He cares little if his actions result in the injury of
another.
Information: Zark needs a few people to help him
move cargo arriving at the docks. A ship called the
Pale Minnow is set to unload barrels of cider during
the night, and Zark is the receiver. Zark can’t unload
the crates alone, and the rivermaster won’t assign
dockhands to help at such a late hour. Zark pays up to
three people 5 gp each for their aid.
The barrels actually contain several children destined to be slaves. These children were kidnapped
from outlying farms. The buyer is
a lizardfolk from Najara. If the
PCs take Zark’s job, see “Helping
Zark” on page 32.
If the PCs ask about the Zelbross Bandits, Zark gladly tells
how he was ambushed while
on the road with friends. He
was the sole survivor, but he
gave as good as he got. He is
still angry over the incident
and will show the PCs where
he was attacked if he can
accompany them and get
his revenge on the “poxed
bastards.”
In reality, Zark is conspiring with the Zelbross
Bandits, who are part of
a slave ring. Zark wants
to accompany the PCs so
he can keep an eye on his
interests.
K EY P E R S O N A L I T I E S
find them and express gratitude, hoping to ingratiate
himself with the adventurers.
Sunsteen is an assistant to the town’s magistrate,
and he is happy to vouch for the characters if they
have a run-in with the law. He is also aware of
the criminal activities around Loudwater, and he
divulges his knowledge to characters interested in the
information.
Information: In the course of conversation,
Sunsteen is likely to share any of
the following information with
characters.
If the PCs ask about the Zelbross Bandits:
“Brigands attack the caravans
that travel west down the Delimbiyr Road . . . right? They live in
the ruins of Zelbross. Folks say
Zark had a close call a few
years ago—the bandits nearly
got him.” If the characters
seek Zark, refer to the next
section or to the Snake Folk of
Najara adventure location on
page 32.
If the PCs ask about
Sunsteen’s spellscar:
“Yeah, I have a spellscar.
First time it manifested, my
leg shriveled up. The thing’s a
curse, not a blessing like some
try to tell you . . . right?”
If the PCs ask about the
Lady of Shadows:
“We got us a crime lord in
Loudwater . . . right? Don’t know
her real name, but we call her the
Lady of Shadows. We think she
runs her gang out of a lair hidden
somewhere beneath the town. People
say she’s a shade, so everyone’s
afraid to take action against her.”
Lady
Moonfire
This youthful half-elf favors a
black gown sewn with silver thread.
Glittering rings decorate her delicate fingers, and a silver amulet
hangs regally from her neck.
Personality Traits: Lady
Moonfire is given to laughter
and light-hearted jest. She is likable, though some of the elderly
residents in town regard her as flippant and flighty.
Favorite Locations: The Green Tankard tavern
(area 5) and her home (area 16).
Motivation: Lady Moonfire is the town leader,
though she has little interest in civic duties. She
would like to visit the High Forest because she feels it
would be a grand adventure. She is also interested in
a tower called Draigdurroch, which lies on the edge
of the Dire Wood. According to her research, Draigdurroch once held a small library of arcane tomes. If
the PCs decide to visit the tower, see the High Forest
adventure on page 28.
17
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Loudwater Adventures
Several plots, conspiracies, and secret organizations operate beneath Loudwater’s surface and just
beyond its borders. Each is a potential adventure you
can weave into your own campaign. The adventures
in and around Loudwater are designed for a range
of character levels; if the PCs become involved in
an adventure for characters above or below their
level, you can adjust the levels of the opponents to
compensate.
The Barrow of the Ogre King adventure below
incorporates the Raid on Loudwater encounter
at the beginning of this chapter. The adventure
includes a set of encounters and a short dungeon.
This first adventure is more thorough than the other
adventures in this chapter. Some include only one
encounter, and others, such as the High Forest and
the High Moor, are merely adventure sites. These
locations lack preconstructed encounters, offering
instead several interesting places for you to develop
full dungeons. Feel free to expand upon this chapter’s
adventure locations or to add additional encounters.
NPCs described under the Loudwater map
locations and within the “Key Personalities” section provide opportunities for characters to learn
about the various adventure sites. As the characters
advance, you can create additional NPCs with new
information to lead them farther and farther beyond
the borders of Loudwater and into new, exciting
adventures.
BARROW OF THE OGRE KING
Barrow of the Ogre King is designed for five 1st-level
adventurers.
For many years, goblins have laired in a nearby
dungeon hidden in the boughs of the Southwood.
This dungeon is known to some as the Barrow of the
Ogre King. The barrow is a remnant of the vanished
dwarven kingdom of Ammarindar.
A local wizard named Curuvar recently sold to
Garwan’s Curiosities a dagger made from the pointed
horn of some creature. This dagger is the horn totem
(see page 11), which Curuvar stole from the Barrow
of the Ogre King, prompting the goblins to attack
Loudwater.
Synopsis
Goblins lairing in a ruin about ten miles south of
Loudwater are agitated by the theft of a relic and
attack the town to recover the item. The player characters must then decide whether to deal with the
goblins. If the PCs decide to attack the goblins in
their home, they must find the Barrow of the Ogre
King, face traps and goblins alike, and ultimately
enter the ancient catacomb where the goblins
interred the Ogre King.
18
Involving the PCs
The easiest way to involve the characters in this
adventure is to run the Raid on Loudwater encounter.
You have a couple other options for involving characters in this adventure.
Garwan’s Curiosities: Garwan tells characters
that other treasures like the horn totem (an item on
special display in his shop) might be found in the
Barrow of the Ogre King. Garwan has no interest in
recovering the items himself, for his adventuring days
are over, but he encourages the characters to explore
the area.
Dead Goblin Shaman: While traveling through
the area near Loudwater, the characters chance
upon a dead goblin hexer carrying the goblin scroll
described below.
Finding the Barrow
Several clues and pieces of information can help lead
characters to the Barrow of the Ogre King.
The PCs can acquire the goblin scroll upon looting the goblin hexer in the first encounter. Unless
circumstances prevent the characters from searching
the body, they automatically find the scroll. If characters don’t find the scroll on their own, a helpful
NPC, such as Sunsteen, might provide it. The scroll
has the following message written in Goblin. If no
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Kerwig,
I learned through divinations that the totem is in a shop
called Garwan’s Curiosities in Loudwater. Go and retrieve
it. Use the old barrel of alchemist’s fire.
You know how important this is. Without the totem, it
will be harder to perform the magic. We must get the object
back if we are to revive the Ogre King!
Do not fail. I will continue forward with the magic even
if every one of you must be sacrificed. We must get back the
totem!
High Shaman Sancossug
The goblins were numerous and made no effort to
conceal their trail, so any character can follow the
path without needing a skill check. Characters can
also obtain directions with a DC 15 Streetwise check
in Loudwater or by asking Curuvar.
If characters are interested in learning more about
the Ogre King, they can make a DC 20 History check
or a DC 15 Streetwise check to learn the following
information.
The creature later dubbed the Ogre King discovered the ruins of the dwarven kingdom of
Ammarindar in the Southwood some eighty years
ago. He established a lair and subjugated local goblins. The Ogre King lasted just ten years, during
which time his goblins raided far and wide. The ogre
was slain by a group of adventurers passing through
the area.
General Details
Doors: The doors in the Barrow of the Ogre King
remain in working order. The doors are solid stone
set in 3-foot-wide, 6-foot-tall frames. They are about
4 inches thick and extremely heavy; they’re built
to swivel or pivot in place and are not actually suspended from hinges. The doors are unlocked unless
otherwise noted, and they require a DC 25 Strength
check to break down. The doors have AC 5, Reflex 5,
Fortitude 10, and 80 hit points.
Illumination: Bright light; goblins have low-light
vision and must rely on artificial light in areas where
the sun’s light doesn’t reach. The goblins keep the
dungeon illuminated with crude torches. Unless otherwise noted, all areas of the subterranean portion
of the Barrow of the Ogre King are illuminated with
bright light.
jumbled, overgrown ruins beneath which lies a threelevel dungeon.
When the PCs approach, read:
An ill-disguised trail leads through the woods and culminates in a jumble of pale stone ruins. The area is littered
with the gnawed bones and visceral remains of various
mammals. The trail leads through the mouth of a dwarf ’s
face carved into one of the still-standing stone walls.
Beyond the wall is a wide, grassy courtyard.
The trail that leads into the ruins is mostly a ruse.
The path leads directly to the overgrown courtyard,
which has a trap that deposits ill-prepared wanderers into area B2. The goblins use their own secret
entrance (see below).
False-Floor Pit
B A R R OW O F T H E O G R E K I N G
character speaks Goblin, the PCs can find someone
within Loudwater to translate, such as Garwan, Zark,
Curuvar, or any other NPC that might reasonably
know Goblin.
Level 4 Warder Trap XP 175
Stones cover the courtyard, supported by weakened timbers that
collapse when just the right amount of weight is applied. The
trap covers a 20-by-40-foot area.
Perception
✦ DC 24: The character notices the false stonework.
Trigger
The trap attacks when three Medium creatures occupy
the courtyard. A Large creature counts as two Medium
creatures, and two Small creatures count as one Medium
creature.
Attack
Immediate Reaction
Melee
Target: Each creature in the courtyard when the trap is
triggered
Attack: +7 vs. Reflex
Hit: The target falls 20 feet into area B2, takes 2d10
damage, and is knocked prone.
Miss: The target enters the nearest nontrapped square.
Effect: The false floor opens and the pit is no longer hidden.
Countermeasures
✦ An adjacent character can trigger the trap with a DC 10
Thievery check. The floor falls into the pit.
✦ A character can walk around the pit.
✦ A character can climb to the bottom of the pit with a DC
15 Athletics check once the trap is sprung.
The secret entrance lies on the opposite side of the
courtyard from where the path enters the area. The
goblins move around the edge of the courtyard to get
there.
The area where the goblins enter is piled with
rubble and stone, and the ground is covered with
footprints. With a DC 17 Perception check, a character notices that one slab of stone appears loose.
This stone can be moved aside, revealing a hole that
contains a ladder. The ladder goes down about 20
feet before entering a small room where a secret door
(DC 15 Perception check to find) leads south to B2.
B1. Common Entrance
Tucked away under the boughs of the Southwood lies
the Barrow of the Ogre King. The barrow consists of
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B2. Slaughter Pit
If PCs enter this chamber, whether by falling through
the false floor or coming down the ladder and through
the secret door, the tactical encounter is triggered.
Tactical Encounter: “B2. Slaughter Pit” on page 22.
B3. Contested Hallway
This hallway is cordoned off from two other chambers, and it leads northward to a set of stairs that
descends farther into the dungeon. The room to the
west of the hallway contains zombies, and the room
to the east contains two goblins. PCs might attempt to
sneak down the hall using Stealth checks. If they do
not elect to use Stealth or if a character fails a Stealth
check, the encounter is triggered.
Tactical Encounter: “B3. Contested Hallway” on
page 24.
B4. Upper Catacomb
The stairway at the end of the hall in B3 descends 10
feet and comes to a set of double doors that leads into
this room. Several goblins and hobgoblins wait inside.
When PCs enter this room, the Upper Catacomb tactical encounter is triggered.
A door in the east leads to area B5; the door is
locked and requires a DC 20 Thievery check to open.
In the northwest section of the room, a pit opens into
area B6. A stairway descends into the pit.
Tactical Encounter: “B4. Upper Catacomb” on
page 26.
B5. Goblin Warren
A short, 10-foot-wide passage provides access to the
chamber where most of the goblins in the barrow
sleep and eat. This chamber has no tactical encounter
because the goblins normally occupying this room
are encountered elsewhere in the dungeon.
When the PCs enter the area, read:
This goblin lair is thick with filth and dung. The room
includes a few crude trappings, such as piles of hay for
bedding and flimsy, makeshift tables. The southern wall
is heaped with a pile of junk, including cracked statuary,
broken armor, rusted weapons, bits of cloth and leather, rotting furniture, and other detritus.
Treasure: Among the junk and filth of this room
are actually a few valuables. A search of the area
reveals the following items: two small silver statues
worth 50 sp each; three gold, gem-inset rings worth
30 gp each; and a suit of +1 magic chainmail. Also
among the items are two 50-foot lengths of rope, 15
crude torches, and a supply of stale, moldy food and
over-fermented ale and spirits.
B6. Ancient Catacomb
The desiccated remains of long-dead dwarves lie in
the recesses of this enormous chamber. The goblins
have looted the graves of what few items remained
when they moved into the barrow. PCs who attempt
to search the recesses find only disintegrating dwarf
bones. This chamber has no encounter because the
only goblin who enters this area is the high shaman,
Sancossug.
When the PCs enter this area, read:
The floor of the upper catacomb opens to reveal a vast
underground cavity. The walls are covered with holes and
recesses containing the disintegrating bones of dwarves. A
stone staircase lit with flaming torches at 30-foot intervals
hugs the outer wall of the shaft, leaving areas of intermittent darkness amid the illumination. The spiraling circle
of torches appears to descend about 100 feet to the bottom
level of the chamber.
The characters need not make any kind of skill check
to descend the stairs.
At the bottom of the catacombs, a torchlit corridor leads to
the east and opens into a 20-by-20-foot chamber.
20
B7. Tomb of the Ogre King
6/17/08 4:52:10 PM
To the east, a large, dirt-encrusted sarcophagus sits in the
center of a 20-by-20-foot recess. A goblin painted with clay
and mud stands vigilantly over the sarcophagus.
The goblin standing over the sarcophagus is High
Shaman Sancossug. He is waiting for the goblin raiders to return with the horn totem so he can perform a
ritual that he believes will revive the Ogre King.
Sancossug sees the PCs as soon as they arrive at
the bottom of the shaft.
When Sancossug sees the PCs, read:
The goblin’s eyes widen and he demands in Common,
“How did you get here? What do you want? This is sacred
ground and you must leave now!”
The shaman is willing to converse with characters,
and he relays the information below based on the
questions the PCs ask and the direction the conversation takes. Sancossug is practical and does not throw
away his life foolishly. Even if the PCs reveal that
they have killed the rest of his tribe, the shaman does
not attack, knowing that if these adventurers killed
his kin, they might succeed in killing him as well.
However, if the characters attempt to disturb the sarcophagus or the tomb in any way, the High Shaman
attacks and fights to the death.
Who was the Ogre King?
“The Ogre King was more than an ogre—he was touched by
a divine spark. He had great and amazing powers.”
How will the Ogre King return?
“I know magic that will revive him, and I pray each day at
his side for the strength and faith to perform the necessary
magic.”
What will he do when he returns?
“He shall reveal his divinity by raising up those of us who
kept his memory alive. He shall then lead us to glory!”
Do you need the totems?
“I don’t need the totems—faith can bridge all gaps, but the
renewal would go better if all the Ogre King’s bones were
returned to his grave. We will get back what was stolen
from us at any cost.”
Where is the skull totem?
The shaman’s eyes flicker to the sarcophagus. He looks at
you and exclaims, “You can’t have it. You must leave now!”
Development: Within the sarcophagus lies the
Ogre King’s mortal remains: the bones of a large
humanoid creature. The skull is inscribed with
blood-red filigree and set as the headpiece of a crude
mace. One of the skull’s horns is missing. The weapon
is the skull totem.
The High Shaman allows the PCs to leave if they
give him the horn totem. He vows the goblins won’t
trouble Loudwater further. If the PCs broker this deal
instead of fighting, award each of them 250 XP. If the
PCs reveal that they have the horn totem or if a character is wielding it but refuses to give it to Sancossug,
then he attacks.
If the PCs are concerned that the goblin might
succeed in reviving the Ogre King, they might
inquire as to the ritual Sancossug intends to perform.
Sancossug gladly tells them about the ritual, and a
DC 10 Religion or Arcana check allows a character
to realize that it is not a legitimate ritual and will
have no effect.
High Shaman Sancossug
Level 3 Solo Controller
Small natural humanoid, goblin
XP 750
Initiative +3
HP 230; Bloodied 115
Saving Throws +5
Speed 6
Action Points 2
m Shaman Rod (standard; at will) ✦ Weapon
+7 vs. AC; 1d6 + 1 damage
C Fire Cloud (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Fire
Close burst 3 within 10; +7 vs. Reflex; 3d6 + 1 fire damage.
C Blinding Cloud (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅)
Close burst 3 within 10; +7 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 1 damage, and
the target is blinded until the end of its next turn.
C Stinging Cloud (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅)
Close burst 3 within 10; +7 vs. Will; 3d6 + 1 damage.
Misdirection (immediate reaction, when targeted by a ranged
attack; at will)
Change the attack’s target to an adjacent foe.
attack; at-will)
The shaman shifts 1 square.
Str 10 (+1)
Dex 15 (+3)
Wis 13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3)
Int 9 (+0)
Cha 18 (+5)
Equipment leather armor, shaman rod
Skull Totem
Level 2
Elaborate traceries cover this large humanoid skull. It has two
horns, though one is broken off at the base. The skull is bound
to a leather-wrapped haft, giving the object the shape and
appearance of a mace.
Lvl 2 +1
520 gp
Weapon: Mace
larger than you have an additional +1 bonus to damage
rolls.
B A R R OW O F T H E O G R E K I N G
When the PCs reach the bottom of the shaft, read:
21
6/17/08 4:52:11 PM
B2. SLAUGHTER PIT
Setup
A group of goblins occupies this room, keeping guard.
The PCs enter the area either through the secret door
to the north or from the pit trap in B1.
Starved dogs are kept in a hidden pit trap at the
upper area of the room.
This encounter includes the following trap and
creatures:
2 goblin warriors (W)
2 goblin skullcleavers (S)
1 goblin hexer (H)
4 starved dogs (D)
1 false-f loor pit (T)
When one or more PCs fall into this room, read:
The ground suddenly falls away. You plummet for
a moment and then slam into the ground in a large,
torchlit room.
Then, regardless of the direction from which the
PCs enter the room, read:
The chamber ascends steeply to the west. Goblins stand
at the top of the slope, partly obscured by intervening statues of dwarves in armor. The goblins instantly raise their
javelins.
2 Goblin Warriors (W)
Level 1 Skirmisher
XP 100 each
Initiative +5
HP 29; Bloodied 14
Great Position
If, on its turn, a goblin warrior ends its move at least 4 squares
away from its starting point, it deals an extra 1d6 damage on
its ranged attacks until the start of its next turn.
attack; at-will)
Alignment Evil
Str 14 (+2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Wis 12 (+1)
Con 13 (+1)
Int 8 (–1)
Cha 8 (–1)
22
2 Goblin Skullcleavers (S)
Level 3 Brute
XP 150 each
Initiative +3
HP 53; Bloodied 26; see also bloodied rage
m Battleaxe (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+6 vs. AC; 1d10 + 5 damage, or 2d10 + 5 while bloodied.
Bloodied Rage (while bloodied)
The goblin skullcleaver loses the ability to use goblin tactics and
can do nothing but attack the nearest enemy, charging when
possible.
attack; at-will)
Alignment Evil
Str 18 (+5)
Dex 14 (+3)
Wis 13 (+2)
Con 13 (+2)
Int 8 (+0)
Cha 8 (+0)
Equipment chainmail, battleaxe
Goblin Hexer (H)
XP 150
Initiative +3
HP 46; Bloodied 23
concealment to the goblin hexer and its allies. The goblin
hexer can sustain the zone as a minor action, moving it up to 5
squares.
tactics; at-will)
make an attack.
attack; at-will)
Alignment Evil
Str 10 (+1)
Dex 15 (+3)
Wis 13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3)
Int 9 (+0)
Cha 18 (+5)
6/17/08 4:52:11 PM
False-Floor Pit (T)
Level 1 Warder Trap XP 100
A covered pit is hidden near the center of the room. A cunning
network of weak timber covered with thin flagstone is rigged
to drop a creature into a 10-foot-deep pit.
B2. SLAUGHTER PIT
When one or more PCs make it to the top of the
slope, the goblin warriors retreat and let the skullcleavers fight in melee. All the goblins move along the
edge of the trap, trying to lure PCs into the area. The
dogs attack any creature that falls into the pit.
Perception
✦ DC 23: The character notices the false stonework.
Trigger
The trap attacks when a character enters one of the squares
containing the trap.
Attack
Immediate Reaction
Melee
Target: The creature that triggered the trap.
Hit: Target falls 10 feet into the pit, takes 1d10 damage, and
is knocked prone.
Miss: Target returns to the last square it occupied, and its
move action ends immediately.
Effect: The false floor opens and the pit is no longer hidden.
Countermeasures
✦ An adjacent character can trigger the trap with a DC 5
Thievery check. The floor falls into the pit.
✦ A character can climb out of the pit with a DC 20
Athletics check.
4 Starved Dogs (D)
Level 1 Minion
Small natural beast
XP 25 each
Initiative +2
Speed 6
m Bite (standard; at will)
+5 vs. AC; 2 damage
Str 14 (+2)
Dex 15 (+2)
Wis 12 (+1)
Con 13 (+1)
Int 3 (–4)
Cha 8 (–1)
Tactics
In the first round, the goblin warriors loose their javelins, both aiming at the closest PC they can see. The
two goblin skullcleavers delay, but they take an action
to charge as soon as a PC makes it up the slope. The
hexer readies a ranged attack against the first PC
to appear.
STEPPING DISK
With a successful DC 20 History check, a character knows
that the Ammarindar dwarves were rumored to be able to
cross their empire instantaneously. The secret of using the
stepping disks is lost to time, though. You might choose
to base an adventure on the stepping disks by creating a
dungeon in deeper, more dangerous Ammarindar ruins.
The disk weighs 100 pounds and is movable if any PC
wants to transport it for later study.
Rubble: Broken stones cover the floor of the lower
area of B2, making the squares difficult terrain.
Sloped Floor: These squares are difficult terrain
when ascending (moving west). The terrain is not difficult for those descending the slope or remaining at
the same level (moving north, south, or east).
Secret Door: Characters can locate this secret
door with a DC 15 Perception check. The passage
leads into a small chamber and from there up a
ladder to B1.
Stepping Disk: This disk is shaped like a plug and
is inscribed with Davek letters forming nonsensical
words. A creature that steps in the square containing the disk is attacked (+5 vs. Will). On a successful
attack, the creature disappears, arriving in a silvery
space that appears to have no end.
Each round, the vanished creature is attacked
again. When an attack fails, the creature reappears
on the disk and must step off or else be subject to
another attack in the following round. If a creature or
object occupies the space in which a character would
appear, the character appears in the nearest available
square.
Moving a disk causes its magic to lapse and any
creatures currently under the disk’s effect to immediately reappear. The magic returns once the disk
is placed on a flat surface and left undisturbed for
one day.
23
6/17/08 4:52:15 PM
B3. CONTESTED HALLWAY
Setup
Goblins occupy the shrine to the east, while zombies
shuffle around in the crypt to the west. Characters
might attempt to sneak down the hall and past the
rooms, but each must make a DC 12 Stealth check for
every 2 squares moved (DC 17 if moving more than 2
squares in a single move). If characters enter either of
the side chambers, or if they fail their Stealth checks,
the creatures become aware of them and attack. The
zombies are controlled by High Shaman Sancossug
and ignore the goblins.
5 zombie rotters (R)
2 zombies (Z)
1 goblin skullcleaver (S)
1 goblin blackblade (G)
When the PCs first enter the hallway, read:
This 10-foot-wide flagstone hallway abruptly drops away
into a set of stairs to the north. The putrid scent of death
wafts from a closed portcullis on the west side of the passage. A closed stone door seals a chamber on the east.
Perception Check
DC 12 Faint shuffling sounds emerge from the west.
DC 17 The sound of at least one creature’s raspy breathing emanates from beneath the eastern door.
If the PCs do not move using Stealth, then as soon as
they are 6 squares into the corridor, the creatures in
the side chambers become aware of them and attack.
When the creatures attack, read:
From the west, dwarflike zombies shuffle forward,
mouths open with hunger. To the east, a hulking, haircovered goblin charges out, roaring with fury. Behind it, a
smaller goblin darts among the shadows.
Tactics
The two zombies move forward first, one using a
minor action to open the portcullis. They move adjacent to the nearest PC and attack. The rotters then
shuffle forward into any other available squares and
join the attack.
The goblin skullcleaver rushes through the doorway and attacks the closest PC he can see. The goblin
blackblade uses sneaky to negotiate the hallway and
find an opportunity to gain combat advantage.
5 Zombie Rotters (R)
Level 1 Minion
Medium natural animate (undead)
XP 25 each
Initiative –2
Senses Perception –1; darkvision
Immune disease, poison
Speed 4
m Slam (standard; at-will)
+6 vs. AC; 5 damage.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages —
Str 14 (+2)
Dex 6 (–2)
Wis 8 (–1)
Con 10 (+0)
Int 1 (–5)
Cha 3 (–4)
Level 2 Brute
Medium natural animate (undead)
XP 125 each
Initiative –1
Senses Perception +0; darkvision
HP 40; Bloodied 20; see also zombie weakness
Immune disease, poison; Resist 10 necrotic; Vulnerable 5 radiant
Speed 4
M Zombie Grab (standard; at-will)
+4 vs. Reflex; the target is grabbed (until escape). Checks made
to escape the zombie’s grab take a –5 penalty.
Zombie Weakness
Any critical hit to a zombie reduces it to 0 hit points instantly.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages —
Str 14 (+3)
Dex 6 (–1)
Wis 8 (+0)
Con 10 (+1)
Int 1 (–4)
Cha 3 (–3)
24
2 Zombies (Z)
6/17/08 4:52:19 PM
Level 3 Brute
B 3. CO N T E S T E D H A L LWAY
Goblin Skullcleaver (S)
XP 150
Initiative +3
HP 53; Bloodied 26; see also bloodied rage
m Battleaxe (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+6 vs. AC; 1d10 + 5 damage, or 2d10 + 5 while bloodied.
Bloodied Rage (while bloodied)
The goblin skullcleaver loses the ability to use goblin tactics and
can do nothing but attack the nearest enemy, charging when
possible.
attack; at-will)
Alignment Evil
Str 18 (+5)
Dex 14 (+3)
Wis 13 (+2)
Con 13 (+2)
Int 8 (+0)
Cha 8 (+0)
Equipment chainmail, battleaxe
Goblin Blackblade (G)
Level 1 Lurker
XP 100
Initiative +7
HP 25; Bloodied 12
Combat Advantage
A goblin blackblade deals an extra 1d6 damage against any
target it has combat advantage against.
attack; at-will)
Sneaky
When shifting, a goblin blackblade can move into a space
occupied by an ally of its level or lower. The ally shifts into the
blackblade’s previous space as a free action.
Alignment Evil
Str 14 (+2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Wis 12 (+1)
Con 13 (+1)
Int 8 (–1)
Cha 8 (–1)
Equipment leather armor, short sword
MARK TEDIN
Illumination: Varies; torches in the hallway and
shrine keep that area illuminated with bright light.
However, the northern and southern alcoves of the
crypt are not illuminated by the torchlight and are
dark.
Crypt: The floor of the room that contains the
zombies is slick with mold and covered in bones and
refuse. Squares in this area are difficult terrain for
any creatures that are not undead. Among the bones
and detritus are a few valuables (see Treasure, below).
Northern Doors: The creatures in area B4 hear
any conflict in the hallway, but they remain in their
area, preparing to fight. They prefer to fight in a
larger area where they can take advantage of their
numbers.
Shrine: The chamber to the east contains no features except for a 7-foot-tall stone statue standing on a
short marble podium. Dirt and clay cake the statue’s
surface, blurring its features and making it impossible to identify. Characters might recognize this fact
as a sign that the statue was recently unearthed and
placed in this chamber.
Scratched into the hardened clay are words in
Goblin meaning “Ogre King.” If characters take
a moment to clean off the statue, what initially
resembled a large humanoid is actually revealed to be
a sculpture of a burly ogre wielding a battleaxe.
The goblins have placed several offerings at the
base of the statue (see Treasure, below).
Stairs: A creature that falls prone while occupying a square that contains stairs risks tumbling to the
base of the stairway. A creature knocked prone on
the stairs must succeed on a DC 15 Acrobatics check
or else slide to the bottom of the staircase, remain
prone, and take 1d10 damage.
Treasure: Both rooms contain a few pieces of
treasure. A character can make a DC 15 Perception
check in the crypt to locate 20 gp and one ruby worth
100 gp. Characters in the shrine find a cache on the
marble base of the statue containing one potion of
healing and 117 gp.
25
6/17/08 4:52:22 PM
B4. UPPER CATACOMB
Setup
When the characters initially see this area, only
the goblin hexer and the hobgoblin archer are visible. The hobgoblin soldiers hide out of sight at the
entrance, and the goblin warrior lingers in the nether
space of the stepping disk.
If the PCs managed to bypass the previous
encounter using Stealth, the creatures in this room
might be less prepared for a fight. You should rearrange the starting positions of the creatures as
appropriate.
2 hobgoblin soldiers (S)
1 goblin hexer (H)
1 hobgoblin archer (A)
1 goblin warrior (see Tactics for starting position)
When the PCs open the door to this area, read:
Double doors open into a wide chamber with a tiled floor.
The northwest corner of the room falls away into darkness,
though a staircase appears to descend into the pit. South of
the hole is a rune-inscribed disk, and to the east of the hole
is a fountain. Several goblins in the chamber are poised
for action.
Goblin Warrior
Level 1 Skirmisher
XP 100
Initiative +5
HP 29; Bloodied 14
Great Position
If, on its turn, a goblin warrior ends its move at least 4 squares
away from its starting point, it deals an extra 1d6 damage on
its ranged attacks until the start of its next turn.
attack; at-will)
Alignment Evil
Str 14 (+2)
Dex 17 (+3)
Wis 12 (+1)
Con 13 (+1)
Int 8 (–1)
Cha 8 (–1)
26
Goblin Hexer (H)
XP 150
Initiative +3
HP 46; Bloodied 23
concealment to the goblin hexer and its allies. The goblin
hexer can sustain the zone as a minor action, moving it up to 5
squares.
tactics; at-will)
make an attack.
attack; at-will)
Alignment Evil
Str 10 (+1)
Dex 15 (+3)
Wis 13 (+2)
Con 14 (+3)
Int 9 (+0)
Cha 18 (+5)
Hobgoblin Archer (A)
Level 3 Artillery
Medium natural humanoid (goblin)
XP 150
Initiative +7
HP 39; Bloodied 19
Speed 6
m Longsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
r Longbow (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Ranged 20/40; +9 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage, and the hobgoblin
archer grants an ally within 5 squares of it a +2 bonus to its
next ranged attack roll against the same target.
Hobgoblin Resilience (immediate reaction, when the hobgoblin
archer suffers an effect that a save can end; encounter)
The hobgoblin archer rolls a saving throw against the effect.
Alignment Evil
Skills Athletics +5, History +6
Str 14 (+3)
Dex 19 (+5)
Wis 14 (+3)
Con 15 (+3)
Int 11 (+1)
Cha 10 (+1)
Equipment leather armor, longsword, longbow, quiver of 30
arrows
6/17/08 4:52:23 PM
Level 3 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid (goblin)
XP 150 each
Initiative +7
HP 47; Bloodied 23
AC 20 (22 with phalanx soldier); Fortitude 18, Reflex 16, Will 16
Speed 5
m Flail (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+7 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage, and the target is marked and
slowed until the end of the hobgoblin soldier’s next turn.
M Formation Strike (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Requires flail; +7 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage, and the hobgoblin
soldier shifts 1 square provided it ends in a space adjacent to
another hobgoblin.
Hobgoblin Resilience (immediate reaction, when the hobgoblin
soldier suffers an effect that a save can end; encounter)
The hobgoblin soldier rolls a saving throw against the eff ect.
Phalanx Soldier
A hobgoblin soldier gains a +2 bonus to AC while at least one
hobgoblin ally is adjacent to it.
Alignment Evil
Skills Athletics +10, History +8
Str 19 (+5)
Dex 14 (+3)
Wis 14 (+3)
Con 15 (+3)
Int 11 (+1)
Cha 10 (+1)
Equipment scale armor, heavy shield, flail
Tactics
The goblin hexer looses vexing cloud on the PCs as
soon as they enter, attempting to aid the hobgoblin
soldiers’ attacks against them. The hobgoblin archer
attacks any PC who attempts to approach it or the
hexer. The hobgoblin soldiers attack any character who moves into the room, attempting to slow
their progress.
The goblin hexer has gained a rudimentary understanding of the stepping disk, so on his turn, he also
spends a minor action to use a command word and
summon the goblin warrior, which can then roll
initiative. The goblin warrior engages any PCs who
slip past the two soldiers. The creatures here fight to
the death.
and is knocked prone. A falling character can attempt
a DC 20 Athletics check to catch hold of the stone
for each 10-foot increment he or she falls. However, a
character can only make three such attempts.
Stairway: A slender stairway begins along the
north wall and circles down to the lowest level of the
catacombs (see B7 on page 20).
Stepping Disk: This disk is shaped like a plug and
is inscribed with Davek letters forming nonsensical
words. A creature that steps in the square containing the disk is attacked (+5 vs. Will). On a successful
attack, the creature disappears, arriving in a silvery
space that appears to have no end.
Each round, the vanished creature is attacked
again. When an attack fails, the creature reappears
on the disk and must step off or else take another
attack in the following round. If a creature or object
occupies the space in which a character would
appear, the character appears in the nearest available
square.
Moving a disk causes its magic to lapse and any
creatures currently under the disk’s effect to immediately reappear. The magic returns once the disk
is placed on a flat surface and left undisturbed for
one day.
B 4 . U P P E R C ATACO M B
2 Hobgoblin Soldiers (S)
Eastern Door: The door is locked and requires a
DC 20 Thievery check or the key in the goblin hexer’s
possession to open.
Fountain: The squares that the fountain occupies
are difficult terrain.
A DC 20 History check reveals that the fountain
dates back to the dwarven kingdom of Ammarindar.
A DC 20 Arcana check reveals that magic is the
source of the water’s ongoing flow.
Hole: This gap opens into a 100-foot drop to the
floor of B6. The enemies in this area don’t actively
try to knock characters in, but if a PC ends his or her
move adjacent to the hole, then an enemy lined up
for a bull rush attempts to push the character in. A
creature that falls down the hole takes 10d10 damage
27
6/17/08 4:52:27 PM
HIGH FOREST
Folk in Loudwater tell tales of the High Forest and
of the adventure opportunities within. This section
presents potential adventure locations within the
High Forest, though it leaves the specific dungeons
and encounters for you to determine.
Adventure Sites
The High Forest contains esoteric secrets, ancient
ruins, and deadly perils.
Endless Caverns: Due south of the Star Mounts,
a branch of the Unicorn Run flows into a network
of underground limestone caverns that stretches for
miles. Most of the passages are natural, but a few
are hewn, and many of the branches connect to the
Underdark. The caverns are older than the fallen
elven realm of Eaerlann, and they have served as lairs
for various creatures throughout the ages. The caves
have housed several now-dead dragons, drow slavers,
and most recently, a colony of azers and fire giants.
Dire Wood: The Dire Wood is a circle of forest
bordered by a ring of albino oaks. The outer ring is
60 miles in circumference, and just inside the circle
of albino oaks is a ring of blackened, petrified trees.
Within both rings are miles of broken hills that lie
under a canopy of living and petrified trees. At the
heart of this eldritch woodland is a great butte. A
game trail winds up to a warped rock formation on
the butte’s face. Green crystals, said to be the hearts
of devils, protrude from the ground along this trail.
Many speculate that at the heart of the butte lies the
petrified remains of Karsus. Karsus was a failed deity
whose remains are said to mark the ruins of Karse,
an ancient Netheril city.
Draigdurroch Tower: About a mile east of the
Dire Wood is a tower sealed beneath a layer of magic
ice. Beneath its frozen cocoon, the tower stands three
stories tall and is capped by a windowless spire. At
night, witchlights sometimes dance above the tower,
accompanied by delicate lyre notes. A warlock named
Draigdurroch built the tower thirty years ago on the
edge of the Dire Wood, hoping to enhance his own
magic by studying the strange phenomena of the forest.
Draigdurroch amassed a personal library of rituals
and lore and was said to have forged a warlock pact of
mysterious origin. Before he finished his studies, magical weather boiled out of the Dire Wood and sealed his
tower in a layer of ice. None have seen him since.
LAIR OF SHADOWS
This adventure is suitable for five characters of between
1st and 3rd level. This section contains only one tactical
encounter, but you should feel free to expand upon the
material to create a full-fledged adventure.
Even a town as small as Loudwater has problems
with crime. Lately, criminals of the town have had
to pledge themselves to the mysterious Lady of Shadows. Criminals who refuse to pledge their loyalty are
found without heads outside the Loudwater walls.
Few clandestine activities occur without the
knowledge of the Lady of Shadows. She runs a protection racket that involves nearly all the shopowners
in town, and she bribes members of the Loudwater
Patrol to look the other way.
Synopsis
Characters in the northwest corner of Loudwater
(near area 17) who are looking for the Lady’s gang
notice a suspicious building. Inside, the PCs discover
that the lair is defended by both a trap and guards.
Characters who pass the trapped entryway and overcome the guards can face the Lady of Shadows, who
is in reality a dark creeper. If the PCs succeed, they
not only put an end to the criminal abuses of the
gang but might also find evidence of the slave ring in
which Zark and the Zelbross Bandits are involved.
28
Involving the PCs
You have a couple of options for involving characters
in this adventure.
Loudwater’s General Store: If the PCs meet
Calla in the general store or the Tankard, she asks
for their help. If they are interested, she explains the
situation:
“For a few tendays now, a tiefling named Narrows has
shown up in my store and told me that if I don’t accept the
‘protection’ of the Lady of Shadows, something bad could
happen, like my shop being burned down or my knees
being broken. I haven’t buckled under his threats, but I’m
LADY OF SHADOWS
BACKGROUND
The Lady of Shadows is a dark creeper named Dara, one of
the lesser creatures that came with Shade Enclave from the
Shadowfell when the Shadovar returned to Faerûn. Many
of these shadow creatures dispersed across Faerûn, some
content to linger in the darkness and others determined
to play a central role in the world. The Lady of Shadows
spent decades hunting and stealing by night in Loudwater
before finally deciding to gain power in the town.
6/17/08 4:52:31 PM
Calla believes that all the other storeowners in Loudwater have accepted the protection of the Lady of
Shadows except for Brosha Manx of the Loudwater
Apothecary. Calla regards Brosha as a comrade in
arms in this struggle despite his sour persona.
Tavern Talk: The PCs hear talk of the Lady of
Shadows in the Fisher’s Friend, the Tankard, or any
other place where Loudwater’s citizens gather. Most
people know only the name of the leader, that the
group is responsible for several murders, and that the
organization forces hired “protection” onto Loudwater’s shopkeepers.
Finding the Lady of Shadows
Once the characters are aware of the crime gang, they
can seek out the Lady of Shadows and deal with her.
Loudwater’s citizens are aware of the gang, but
they’re too afraid to address the threat. They are
unwilling to go to the patrol because most people
believe the guards are in the Lady’s pocket. Characters
can attempt to glean additional information about the
Lady of Shadows with a DC 15 Streetwise check. A
successful check leads characters either to the northwest corner of town (area 17) or to Kyos, who is known
widely to have had a run-in with the Lady’s gang.
Kyos is a male human who spends his days in the
Fisher’s Friend Pub. He is a former pickpocket and
has a hook in place of one hand and an eyepatch
covering one eye. If a PC makes a DC 15 Diplomacy
or Intimidate check, Kyos relates the following
information.
“The Lady of Shadows? That she-dog near killed me when
I wouldn’t join her little pack! As it is, she left me crippled,
like you see me now, and she threatened to take my other
hand and eye if she ever catches me thieving without her
say-so!”
Kyos has never met the Lady of Shadows personally,
so he can’t provide a description. He believes that the
gang lairs in the run-down tenement located in the
northwest corner of Loudwater (area 17). PCs who
talk to Kyos learn enough to find the lair.
Some characters might decide to wait for Narrows
to show up and collect his protection money. The
PCs can follow Narrows back to the lair undetected
with successful DC 13 Stealth checks (each character
must succeed). Failure means Narrows notices them
and runs to try to lose the group or else fights (see his
statistics on page 31) if only one or two PCs are following him. If he is captured, he gives up the location
of the lair, knowing that the trap will warn other gang
members of the PCs’ approach.
Features of the Lair
The lair occupies part of an old catacomb and chapel
that served Loudwater when the city was larger.
Illumination: Bright light; although the Lady
of Shadows has darkvision and needs no light, the
gang’s other members require bright light to see. The
gang keeps the lair well lit with lanterns and torches.
Doors: The doors in the Lady of Shadow’s lair are
heavy oak reinforced with rusted iron. The doors are
unlocked and require a DC 20 Strength check to
break down. They have AC 5, Reflex 5, Fortitude 10,
and 40 hit points.
Entryway
If the characters investigate the building in the northwest corner of Loudwater (area 17), they find it is an
empty shell. A stairway littered with garbage leads
down into the building’s cellar.
Before the characters enter the Lair of Shadows
where the tactical encounter takes place, they must
first traverse the entryway, which contains a trap.
Refer to the tactical map on page 31 for the location
of the trap. After the PCs descend the stairs from the
building above and open the first door to the corridor
leading to the Lair of Shadows, read:
The door opens to reveal a passage 40 feet long and 10 feet
wide. The passageway has several torches providing illumination but otherwise appears neglected. Dust and cobwebs
fill the corners. At the end of the corridor, a set of double
doors leads to the west.
Acid Trap
Level 2 Obstacle Trap XP 125
A 10-by-20-foot section of the floor drops away on hinges to a
10-foot-deep pit filled up to ankle height with diluted acid.
Perception
✦ DC 22: The character notices that the floor could fall away.
✦ DC 25: The character notices the hidden control panel.
Trigger
When a creature moves into the trapped area.
Attack
Immediate Reaction
Melee
Target: The creature that triggered the trap.
Hit: 1d10 damage plus ongoing 5 acid damage (save ends),
and the target is knocked prone. A character cannot
succeed on a saving throw against the acid until he or she is
out of the acid.
Countermeasures
✦ A character adjacent to the trap can disable it with a DC
22 Thievery check. A character who has located the control
panel can disable the trap with a DC 15 Thievery check.
✦ A character can climb out of the pit with a DC 15
Athletics check.
✦ A character can attack the false floor or the control panel
(AC 5, Reflex 5, Fortitude 10, 20 hit points). Destroying the
false floor or control panel causes the trap to spring.
L A I R O F S H A D OW S
afraid what might happen if I don’t. Raumandar, my stock
boy, is a capable enough fighter, but he might not be able to
protect me or the store all the time.”
29
6/17/08 4:52:31 PM
LAIR OF SHADOWS
Setup
If the PCs spring the trap, then the creatures in the
next room hear the commotion and are prepared. If
the PCs don’t enter after 10 rounds have passed since
they sprang the trap, the human gang members enter
the eastern hallway to investigate.
If the characters manage to disable or bypass the
acid trap (T) without springing it, and if they are able
to move beyond the trap while succeeding on DC 15
Stealth checks, then the PCs might gain a round of
surprise on the room’s occupants. No matter what,
the enemies occupy the indicated positions when the
encounter starts.
10 human gang members (G)
1 elf archer (A)
Narrows (N)
Lady of Shadows (L)
If the characters have already captured or killed
Narrows, you can elect to have another tiefling with
identical statistics present. You can also use a different
creature altogether or simply have no creature present
in Narrows’ place. Decide how to vary the encounter’s
creatures based on the party’s expected level.
When PCs open the double door to the lair, read:
Torches line the walls of this large chamber, yet shadows
seem to leap to life in the gaps between the light. At the
room’s western end, a fountain pours darkness that flows
like water. A few humanoid figures are scattered throughout the chamber.
Perception Check
DC 23 A small feminine figure by the shadow fountain
is shrouded in gloom and black garments. Her face bears
entirely white eyes, a large nose, and a wide mouth full of
uneven teeth.
Tactics
The elf archer remains at the back of the room,
moving back and forth to gain the attack bonus from
archer’s mobility. The archer tries to avoid melee,
using not so close to keep away from enemy combatants while taking advantage of the expansive area
and opportunities for cover. Narrows and the Lady of
Shadows dart off to one side after the gang members
swarm the PCs. They look for opportunities to gain
combat advantage while still remaining safely behind
the melee combatants.
30
Even if it seems that the PCs will emerge victorious, the Lady of Shadows fights on until slain.
Lady of Shadows (L)
Level 4 Skirmisher
Small shadow humanoid
XP 175
Initiative +8
HP 54; Bloodied 27; see also killing dark
AC 18 (see also dark step); Fortitude 15, Reflex 17, Will 15
Speed 6
m Dagger (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
R Dagger (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
C Killing Dark (when reduced to 0 hit points)
Close burst 1, targets enemies; the Lady of Shadows explodes
in a spout of darkness; each target is blinded (save ends).
Combat Advantage
The Lady deals an extra 1d6 damage on melee and ranged
attacks against any target she has combat advantage against.
Dark Step (move; at-will)
The Lady moves up to 4 squares, gains a +4 bonus to AC
against opportunity attacks, and gains combat advantage
against any target that she ends her move adjacent to.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Str 11 (+2)
Dex 18 (+6)
Wis 14 (+4)
Con 14 (+4)
Int 13 (+3)
Cha 13 (+3)
Equipment black garments, 5 daggers
Elf Archer (A)
Level 2 Artillery
Medium fey humanoid
XP 125
Initiative +5
Group Awareness aura 5; non-elf allies in the aura gain a +1 racial
bonus to Perception checks.
HP 32; Bloodied 16
Speed 7; see also wild step
R Longbow (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Ranged 20/40; +7 vs. AC; 1d10 + 4 damage; see also archer’s
mobility.
Archer’s Mobility
If an elf archer moves at least 4 squares from its original
position, it gains a +2 bonus to ranged attack rolls until the
start of its next turn.
Elven Accuracy (free; encounter)
An elf can reroll an attack roll. It must use the second roll, even
if it’s lower.
Not So Close (immediate reaction, when an enemy makes a melee
attack against the elf archer; encounter)
The elf archer shifts 1 square and makes a ranged attack
against the enemy.
Wild Step
The elf ignores difficult terrain when it shifts.
Alignment Any
Languages Common, Elven
Skills Nature +11, Stealth +10
Str 13 (+2)
Dex 18 (+5)
Wis 16 (+4)
Con 14 (+3)
Int 12 (+2)
Cha 11 (+1)
Equipment leather armor, short sword, longbow, quiver of 30 arrows
6/17/08 4:52:32 PM
L A I R O F S H A D OW S
Narrows (N)
Level 4 Skirmisher
Medium natural humanoid, tiefling
XP 175
Initiative +8
HP 56; Bloodied 28
Resist fire 9
Speed 6
+10 vs. AC (+11 against a bloodied target); 1d4 + 1 damage.
Combat Advantage
Narrows deals an extra 2d6 damage on melee attacks against
any target he has combat advantage against.
Cloak of Shadows (immediate interrupt, when an enemy makes
an opportunity attack against Narrows; at-will)
Attacker is blinded (save ends).
Infernal Wrath (minor; encounter)
Narrows gains a +1 bonus to his next attack roll against an
enemy that hit him since Narrows’s last turn. If the attack hits
and deals damage, he deals an extra 2 damage.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common, Supernal
Skills Acrobatics +11, Bluff +11, Stealth +13
Str 13 (+3)
Dex 18 (+6)
Wis 12 (+3)
Con 16 (+5)
Int 10 (+2)
Cha 14 (+4)
Equipment leather armor, dagger
10 Human Gang Members (G)
Level 1 Minion
Medium natural humanoid
XP 25 each
Initiative +0
Senses Perception +0
AC 14; Fortitude 13, Reflex 11, Will 11; see also mob rule
Speed 6
m Club (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+5 vs. AC; 2 damage.
Mob Rule
A human gang member gains a +2 power bonus to defenses
while at least two other human gang members are within 5
squares of it.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Str 14 (+2)
Dex 10 (+0)
Wis 10 (+0)
Con 12 (+1)
Int 9 (–1)
Cha 11 (+0)
Equipment leather armor, club
Cots and Desk: Squares that the cots and desk
occupy are difficult terrain.
Rune Floor: The Lady of Shadow brought the tiles
in the niche in the southern side room from a ruined
fortress in the Graypeak Mountains. They glow with
a shadowy gray light when stepped upon. The Lady
was experimenting with them, for she believed that if
stepped upon in the proper sequence, the tiles would
open a portal to the ruins where she found them. A
DC 25 Arcana check reveals that the tiles are indeed
used for the conjuration of portals. The tiles weigh 50
pounds each, and a character interested in deciphering the mystery of the tiles can carry them away for
further arcane study. You can decide whether a character can unlock the sequence, possibly opening up a
new avenue for adventures.
Shadow Font: The squares that the fountain occupies are difficult terrain.
Shadows flow and spray in this basin just like
water. A character touching the substance discovers
that it feels like cold water. In reality, the object is a
normal fountain enchanted to make its water appear
like liquid shadow. A character realizes this fact with
a DC 20 Arcana check.
Slave Cage: This cage is open and empty except
for a few pieces of cast-off clothing, bits of food, and
the smell of blood, sweat, and excrement. A character
more thoroughly investigating the cage might notice
(with a DC 10 Perception check) a scrawl that reads,
“Save us, please. We are being sold as slaves to snake men!
They say they are bringing us to the Zelbross Bandits.”
The Lady of Shadows has recently begun to kidnap
children from outlying farms and sell them to the
Zelbross Bandits. Her operation is independent of
Zark’s; the dwarf tried to conceal his activity from the
Lady so he didn’t have to split the profits.
Stairs: These old stairs connect to a catacomb,
where a narrow tunnel leads west and emerges in a
cave about half a mile outside Loudwater.
Treasure: The Lady of Shadow’s gang members
have a total of 89 gp and 213 sp on them.
Conclusion
If the PCs defeat the Lady of Shadows, each gains
150 quest XP and the accolades of the shopkeepers
in town.
31
6/17/08 4:52:35 PM
This adventure is suitable for five characters of
between 2nd and 5th level. This section contains only
one tactical encounter, but you can expand upon the
material to create a full-fledged adventure.
A slave trade has started to trickle through Loudwater, though few people in the town are
involved. The dwarf Zark receives the slaves
in Loudwater, transfers them to
wagons, and then takes the
group to the bandit hideout
west of town. From there,
they are sold to representatives of Najara. The Lady
of Shadows has also joined
in the business; members
of her gang kidnap children from outlying farms
and then sell them to the
bandits.
Synopsis
The PCs learn of the Zelbross
Bandits and their disreputable
activities. They speak to people
in town, possibly enlisting the
help of Zark or forcing him
to confess what he knows
about the bandits. One way or
another, the characters make
their way to a former temple of
Tyr in Zelbross. There, the PCs take
on the members of the bandit group as well
as a representative from Najara that has come to
purchase the group of children as slaves.
Involving the PCs
You have a couple options for involving characters in
this adventure.
Lair of Shadows: If the PCs dealt with the Lady
of Shadows and explored her lair, they might have
discovered the message a child scrawled within
the cage: “Save us, please. We are being sold as slaves to
snake men! They say they are bringing us to the Zelbross
Bandits.”
This might be cause enough to send the PCs
searching for information on the bandits.
Helping Zark: If the characters have met Zark, it
could be that one or more of the PCs agreed to help
the dwarf unload cargo. While they are aiding Zark,
they might discover that the cargo contains live children bound for the Zelbross Bandits.
32
Each PC who helps move barrels must succeed on
a single DC 12 Strength check. A character failing
the check drops one of the barrels during the course
of transferring the cargo. If a barrel is dropped, read:
The wood splinters, and the metal rings pop off the
barrel. Lying amid the splintered planks is a scattering
of white stuffing and a gagged and bound child, eyes
wide and face tear-streaked.
Zark takes one look at the child, looks at you, and
then turns to run.
The PCs can attempt to chase down
and subdue Zark, though he does fight if
cornered and begs for mercy only
if he is about to die. He admits
everything if they promise to
spare his life.
Zark explains that he is
indeed a member of a slave
ring, but he emphasizes that
his part is small: He delivers
barrels from the Pale Minnow
to the bandits in Zelbross. He
agreed to help them because
when he was ambushed
a while back, the bandits’
leader gave him a choice: Act
as their agent in Loudwater or
die. Zark doesn’t know the
names of anyone involved.
He knows that the Lady of
Shadows has begun to cut into his
business, kidnapping children from outlying farms and then selling them. Zark is
not aware of Najara’s involvement in the slave
trade.
Talk of Bandits: Around town, the PCs hear
gossip about bandits on the western road or of
children disappearing. The townsfolk believe
that the bandits are hiding out in the ruins of Zelbross and think they might be responsible for the
disappearances.
Character Background: The PCs might become
involved in this adventure through an incident that
occurred in a character’s background. A character
who has lived in the area for a few years might have
had a run-in with the bandits several years back.
Perhaps the character survived the attack but was
accompanied by a friend or relative who perished
in the fight. Now that the character has gained
some expertise in combat (perhaps by dealing with
the barrow goblins or the Lady of Shadows), he or
she might decide the time is right to deal with the
bandits.
SNAKE FOLK OF NAJARA
6/17/08 4:52:39 PM
Level 4 Artillery
Medium natural humanoid, dwarf
XP 175
Initiative +5
HP 46; Bloodied 23
Saving Throws +5 against poison
Speed 5
m Warhammer (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
R Crossbow (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Aimed Shot
Zark gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and deals an extra 1d6
damage with ranged attacks against creatures that don’t have
cover.
Stand Your Ground
When an effect forces Zark to move—through a pull, a push, or
a slide—he moves 1 square less than the effect specifies. When
an attack would knock Zark prone, he gains an immediate
saving throw to avoid falling prone.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common, Dwarven
Skills Bluff +7, Dungeoneering +10, Endurance +7
Str 14 (+4)
Dex 16 (+5)
Wis 12 (+3)
Con 16 (+5)
Int 11 (+2)
Cha 10 (+2)
Equipment leather armor, warhammer, crossbow with 20 bolts
Finding the Bandits
Once the characters are aware of the Zelbross Bandits, they can seek them out and try to put an end to
their crimes.
If the PCs ask around town, they learn that the
bandits are reportedly living in the old ruins of Zelbross, about 25 miles west of Loudwater. The PCs are
also told that Zark nearly died at their hands not long
ago. The characters are encouraged to talk to Zark to
learn more about the bandits and to potentially gain
an ally if they intend to take on the bandits.
Characters might head directly for Zelbross upon
learning the bandits are there. In this case, simply
refer to the tactical encounter on page 34. On the
other hand, if the PCs seek out Zark (see Zark’s entry
on page 17), then he gladly recounts his story of the
bandit attack:
“I was ambushed by bandits outside Zelbross. I was
accompanying a caravan out of Loudwater when they
attacked. They killed everyone but me. I survived because
as I was fighting ’em off, I tripped and fell back into a gully
and was knocked out. Anyway, if you’re going after the
bandits, I’ll guide you to their place. It’s about time someone did something about them. I want to get my revenge
against those poxed bastards.”
Zark wants to direct the PCs to the hideout so
he can aid the bandits in fighting the characters. A
character can notice that Zark has ulterior motives by
making a DC 17 Insight check.
If Zark admits his guilt to the PCs either because
they catch him in a lie or because the characters discover the child cargo coming from the Pale Minnow,
he explains to them where to find the bandit hideout.
“You can’t miss it. When you head along the west road
for about 25 miles, a path cuts north through the forest and
comes to the ruins of Zelbross. There’s a temple in the ruins
that still bears the symbol of the old god Tyr. You’ll find the
poxed bastards there.”
PCs can punish Zark themselves or tell the Loudwater authorities, who promptly exile Zark. The Pale
Minnow’s captain and crew are aware of the nature of
the cargo they transport; however, at the first sign of
trouble, the ship sets off. If the PCs manage somehow
to detain the captain and crew, they plead ignorance
and claim to have had no hand in loading or unloading the cargo. Loudwater’s magistrate believes there’s
not enough evidence to condemn them, but he does
insist that they not return to Loudwater’s docks.
General Details
The bandit hideout is a temple in the ruined town of
Zelbross. The temple was once devoted to the god Tyr.
Illumination: Varies; bright light illuminates the
whole area if the characters come during the day.
If the characters come at night, the area outside the
temple is dark, while torches provide bright light
inside the temple.
Doors: The doors in the temple are rotted wood
reinforced with rusted iron. The doors are unlocked
and require a DC 13 Strength check to break down.
The doors have AC 5, Reflex 5, Fortitude 8, and 20
hit points.
Approaching
the Hideout
Although the bandits keep watch for caravans,
they aren’t expecting an attack, and the PCs might
manage to sneak past and surprise them. PCs moving
slowly (2 squares per move action) must succeed on
DC 11 Stealth checks to approach the ruined temple
unnoticed. You can determine at what distance from
the temple the characters must begin making these
checks.
When the PCs approach Zelbross, read:
The remains of a small village stand on either side of the
rocky, overgrown road. Half-collapsed wooden and stone
structures hint that the place once contained two hundred
or three hundred people. Those people are gone now, and
their old homes and shops play host only to the wind
and rain.
You notice that the ruts in the road diverge and lead to a
large building that seems in good condition compared to its
counterparts.
SNAKE FOLK OF NAJARA
Zark the Dwarf
33
6/17/08 4:52:40 PM
BANDIT HIDEOUT
Encounter Level 5 (1,025 XP)
Setup
Two human bandits are posted as sentries and keep
watch outside. They notice the PCs approach unless
characters succeed on DC 11 Stealth checks. The surrounding ruins provide plenty of cover for characters
to hide behind. As soon as an enemy becomes aware
of the PCs, it shouts out, raising the alarm.
5 human bandits (B)
1 bandit leader (L)
1 greenscale marsh mystic (G)
If the PCs come at night, two bandits remain outside on guard duty, while all the other creatures
are located inside near the well. Adjust the starting
positions of creatures as appropriate. Characters
must still succeed on Stealth checks to approach the
temple without alerting the sentries.
When PCs enter the area, read:
An old yet remarkably intact structure rises up above the
overgrown brush and weeds. Stone columns stand in the
courtyard and to the left of the building, each bearing a
scarred hammer and balance symbol.
Perception Check
DC 19 A couple of humanoid figures hide among the
buildings and columns surrounding the structure.
5 Human Bandits (B)
Level 2 Skirmisher
Medium natural humanoid
XP 125 each
Initiative +6
HP 37 each; Bloodied 18
Speed 6
m Mace (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+4 vs. AC; 1d8 + 1 damage, and the bandit shifts 1 square.
r Dagger (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
M Dazing Strike (standard; encounter) ✦ Weapon
Requires mace; +4 vs. AC; 1d8 + 1 damage, the target is dazed
until the end of the bandit’s next turn, and the bandit shifts 1
square.
Combat Advantage
A bandit deals an extra 1d6 damage on melee and ranged
attacks against any target it has combat advantage against.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Skills Stealth +9, Streetwise +7, Thievery +9
Str 12 (+2)
Dex 17 (+4)
Wis 11 (+1)
Con 13 (+2)
Int 10 (+1)
Cha 12 (+2)
Equipment leather armor, mace, 4 daggers
34
Bandit Leader (L)
Level 3 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, human
XP 150
Initiative +5
HP 47; Bloodied 23
Speed 5
m Longspear (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Reach 2; +10 vs. AC; 1d10 + 3 damage, and the target is
marked until the end of the leader’s next turn.
M Sweeping Strike (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Weapon
Requires longspear; reach 2; +10 vs. AC; 1d10 + 7 damage, and
the target is knocked prone.
R Crossbow (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Alignment Evil
Languages Common
Skills Streetwise +7, Thievery +8
Str 16 (+4)
Dex 14 (+3)
Wis 11 (+1)
Con 15 (+3)
Int 10 (+1)
Cha 12 (+2)
Equipment chainmail, longspear, 20 bolts, key to vault and chests
Greenscale Marsh Mystic (G)
Medium natural humanoid (reptile)
XP 250
Initiative +4
Marsh Blessing (Healing) aura 5; allies that start their turns in the
aura regain 3 hit points.
HP 70; Bloodied 35
Speed 6 (swamp walk)
A Swamp’s Grasp (standard; encounter) ✦ Zone
Area burst 2 within 10; +9 vs. Reflex; the target is immobilized
(save ends). The zone is difficult swamp terrain until the end of
the encounter.
A Bog Cloud (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅ ) ✦ Poison
Area burst 2 within 10; +9 vs. Fortitude; 2d8 + 4 poison
damage, and the target is dazed until the end of the marsh
mystic’s next turn.
Alignment Evil
Languages Draconic
Skills Athletics +10, Nature +12
Str 15 (+5)
Dex 13 (+4)
Wis 19 (+7)
Con 14 (+5)
Int 10 (+3)
Cha 12 (+4)
Equipment spear, bone breastplate (hide armor)
Tactics
Once a creature raises the alarm, all the human bandits head toward combat and attempt to surround
and subdue one PC. When the bandit leader joins the
battle, a couple of bandits break off their attack and
try to reach the weaker, less armored characters. The
bandit leader moves straight into melee, attacking
with his crossbow only if necessary. The greenscale
marsh mystic lurks at the edge of combat, attempting
to catch two or more characters with its area powers.
The group fights until only two creatures remain and
both are bloodied, at which point these survivors
attempt to flee.
6/17/08 4:52:40 PM
B A N D I T H I D EO U T
Conclusion
Captive Cage: Seven children, ages 8 to 13, are
caged here, bound for Najara. The cage is locked, but
a successful DC 22 Thievery check opens the lock; a
DC 15 Strength check breaks the cage door.
Rubble: Two entrances to the temple are littered
with broken statuary; this area is difficult terrain.
Vault: The iron-reinforced doors to this chamber
are locked and require the key carried by the bandit
leader. A character can also make a DC 22 Thievery
check or DC 25 Strength check to open the vault.
Inside the vault are crates, barrels, boxes, sacks, and a
few chests (see Treasure, below).
Well: The well has a 3-foot-high lip around it. A
creature that is forced into one of the well’s squares
might fall 30 feet to the bottom. The fall deals 1d10
damage, and the water at the bottom is 10 feet deep.
The walls are slick and require a DC 20 Athletics
check to climb.
Treasure: The containers in the vault hold grain,
wool, flour, and other staples stolen from caravans,
worth a total of 200 sp. A chest of coins requires the
bandit leader’s key to open, or a character can make
a DC 25 Thievery check to unlock it or a DC 19
Strength check to break it. The chest contains 200 gp
and gauntlets of ogre power.
If the PCs defeat the bandits and see to the children’s
needs, they each gain 200 quest XP. The children
come from the area around Loudwater and from
communities along the Delimbiyr River. Some of the
children were brought by boat and transported in
barrels. They say the barrels smelled like apple cider,
which might be enough of a hint to lead the characters to Zark if they have not already dealt with the
dwarf. The other children describe their capture by
men who took them to the “Shadow Lady.” The Loudwater Patrol ensures that each child finds his or her
home. The PCs are hailed by the townsfolk as heroes.
The slavers’ involvement with Najara is left
intentionally ambiguous so you can expand on this
encounter and build a campaign involving Najara. If
you want the characters to have the opportunity to
track down the slavers, have the PCs discover a document on the greenscale marsh mystic that outlines an
exchange of 25 gp per child the bandits provide. To
offer additional incentive to the characters, the note
might outline that this is the second or third such
exchange they’ve made and that the previous slaves
are working out well. See the Najara location on page
158 for information useful in setting a campaign
there.
35
6/17/08 4:52:44 PM
HIGH MOOR
The High Moor is a perilous span of swamplands
to the south of Loudwater where few townspeople
dare go. This section presents potential adventure
locations within the High Moor, though it leaves
the specific dungeons and encounters for you to
determine.
Adventure Sites
The High Moor is notorious for cold, choking mists
that conceal a rocky wilderness rife with trolls,
goblinoids, and humanoid tribes, including centaurs,
lizardfolk, lycanthropes, and yuan-ti.
These craggy lands hide the ruins of more than
one fallen kingdom. Bardic songs often refer to the
High Moor as a place of “the bones and thrones of
lost lands.” One of the oldest kingdoms associated
with the area is the elven realm of Miyeritar. It was
destroyed by terrible magic that slew every elf in
the kingdom and left behind the blasted lands of
the High Moor. Adventurers can be certain to find a
supply of ruined castles, derelict tombs, and deep caverns, many of which remain unexplored.
Court of Meiriona: About sixty years ago, one of
the ancient ruins near the southern tip of the High
Moor was transformed. One day, the place was razed
and abandoned, and the next, it was a walled keep
built entirely of ice.
A self-styled queen named Meiriona rules over
the rebuilt court. Meiriona is an eladrin noble exiled
from the Feywild for acts of cruelty. Her skin has
a translucent, slimy membrane, perhaps due to an
alliance with the Abolethic Sovereignty. Adventuring companies who have sought to explore the court
claim that the keep is guarded by an unfettered
kraken (page 174) that has a body consisting of ice
instead of flesh.
Halls of the Hammer: In the northeastern High
Moor, due east of Highstar Lake, is a long-abandoned
mine that connects to the remnants of a dwarven
hall. The area has drawn countless adventuring companies over the last couple of centuries. About forty
years ago, one group managed to destroy the flying,
animated warhammer that guarded the complex.
Upon its destruction, the entire area quaked, and the
underground complex became dislodged from the
subterranean shelf on which it had been situated.
The ruins settled hundreds of feet deeper into the
earth. However, the mines are vast, and a route might
still exist that connects to the hall. The treasures of
long-dead dwarves lie here, no longer guarded by
the animated warhammer but instead warded by an
ancient atrocity—marked by the hundreds of chained
36
human corpses that dangle like jungle vines from the
ceiling at the hall’s entrance.
Dragonspear Castle: This ruined castle held a
shrine to Tempus and a small force of mercenaries to
guard the castle. However, these forces were insufficient to resist the undead that rose up from the
Nepenthe River, which flows beneath the castle. The
undead slew the castle’s occupants and destroyed the
shrine to Tempus. The castle now lies behind a permanent fog, and though other creatures have tried to
claim the castle, the undead have rebuffed them. The
creature claiming the castle is called Born, and he is
utilizing the graves of the High Moor’s lost civilizations to create an undead army.
Highstar Lake: Locals tell tales of the vast mysteries that lie beneath Highstar Lake, from drowned
temples of forgotten gods, to sunken Netherese airships, to lost civilizations. And while most stories are
false, a splinter of truth might lie within some of the
tales.
Beneath the lake’s legendary reflective surface
lives a strange creature whose appearance varies
according to the season: sometimes a beautiful water
nymph, other times a scaled, fishlike monstrosity.
Men are sometimes taken to the lair of this “lady in
the lake” only to awaken three days later with no
memory of the previous days. However, they always
find their coin purses bulging with gold of ancient
elven mint, so they are content to go about their
business.
Sometimes foundlings are discovered near the
lake with no memory of their past. Woodsfolk bring
these young boys and girls, which are human in
appearance, back to Loudwater. Many believe these
foundlings to be the half-blood children of the lady
HIDDEN CITY OF HOPE,
RHYMANTHIIN
The secret history of the Miyeritar Towers is known to
a select few. On the Feast of the Moon in 1374 DR, the
High Moor’s malignant influence was cleansed southwest
of Highstar Lake by a cabal of legendary figures, including
Khelben “Blackstaff ” Arunsun, Elminster, and Laeral Silverhand. Faer’tel’miir, the ancient Library City of Miyeritar,
was restored in the process and renamed Rhymanthiin,
the Hidden City of Hope. However, the act of restoring
the city and the cleansing of the moor came at a price, for
Khelben sacrificed himself during the high magic ritual to
ensure its success. Those participating in the ritual hoped
that the city might one day bring hope back to the High
Moor, a land drowned in corruption and peril.
Rhymanthiin remains hidden and holds a secret
strength against corrupt magic. Those with malice in their
hearts are unable to find it.
6/17/08 4:52:48 PM
HIGH MOOR
MARK TEDIN
of the lake, though few express such thoughts openly.
Regardless of their origin, most agree there is a
strange, fey quality about the children.
Mishka’s Warren: A small clan of hobgoblins
called the Urshani has domesticated a vicious pack
of worgs. The matron worg is called Mishka, and she
is a ferocious, cruel beast. The clan of hobgoblins is
located in an old ruin in the northwestern portion of
the High Moor. The hobgoblins live with the worgs
and have no fear of their savage, demonic ways.
In fact, the Urshani have become unusually feral
and bestial as a result of their close connection to
the worgs.
The Urshani and the worgs sometimes range
beyond the moor and across the Delimbiyr River
in search of fresh prey. The city of Secomber, just
west of the High Moor, has become a recent target of
raids. The constant attacks have turned a city once
renowned for its friendly atmosphere into a walled
encampment of frightened and desperate people.
Many adventurers have promised to clean out Mishka’s Warren, but all the village has received in return
are retaliatory raids in which the hobgoblins leave
behind the heads of the adventurers.
The villagers of Secomber now leave regular tribute at the edge of the High Moor as an appeasement
to the Urshani. This generally works as an effective
deterrent, but the worgs and hobgoblins still sometimes attack.
Miyeritar Towers: Southwest of Highstar Lake
stands a tower first discovered in the mid 1370s.
Later explorers found that the tower was one of nine
similar towers that encompass an area nearly 50
miles in diameter. The towers are separated enough
that no two are ever visible at the same time. Within
the towers’ circumscribed area, the poisonous soil
of the High Moor is fresh and fertile. Savannah grass
has sprouted in the area, and centaur tribes inhabit
the land. A few accounts even suggest that elves are
living in the area.
Tavern tales claim that the lone spires are the
sentry towers of a hidden city that lies partly in the
Feywild. Some even believe that the city is a remnant
of Miyeritar returned to Faerûn from the Feywild.
However, no city has been discovered thus far.
Perhaps the city holds magical strength in reserve,
preparing to resist a yet unknown evil.
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CHAPTER 2
Adventuring
2
The world
of the FORGOTTEN REALMS
campaign setting is filled with many wondrous
nations, fantastic races, and powerful magic. The
new age introduces an even greater element of the
incredible to this vibrant, ever-changing world.
Toril is a living, growing world, home to many
thousands of intelligent beings with their own names
and deeds, natures and histories. Mighty heroes stride
across the landscape, forging new legends with their
bravery and determination. Stalwart halfling warriors
battle against the demons infesting the Gate of Iron
Fangs in Dambrath. Genasi sorcerers from wondrous
Akanûl study the secret arts of wild magic. Quickwitted Chessentan ruffians skulk in the alleyways and
bazaars of Luthcheq, the City of Madness. In a world
of heroes both light and dark, you must choose where
you will stand in the struggle to come.
Over the past twenty years, many rules and ideas
have been presented in game supplements, novels,
comics, and video games, and that glut of information
can be quite daunting at first. The key to running a
successful FORGOTTEN REALMS campaign is to start
small. Each campaign should be unique, reflecting
the personality and gaming needs of the players
and the Dungeon Master. Try not to get caught up in
what is or is not “official.” Toril is a very large place,
with more than enough room for characters and
campaigns to develop beyond what is presented in
this book and other FORGOTTEN REALMS sources.
This chapter contains the following sections.
✦ Your Campaign in 1479 DR: For DMs who have
ongoing campaigns, this section offers ideas for
moving a game into the current year.
✦ Traveling the World: The Spellplague and its
aftermath have made travel more dangerous. Here
are some of the safer ways to get around.
✦ History: A brief overview of major periods in
Toril’s history, up to the present day.
✦ Glossary: Special words and terms to add detail
and realism to your game.
38
W I L L I A M O ’CO N N O R
✦ Treasures: Art objects and other valuable items
to inject a bit of FORGOTTEN REALMS flavor into a
treasure hoard.
CH A P T ER 2 | Adventuring
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YOUR CAMPAIGN IN 1479 DR
Since the previous release of the FORGOTTEN R EALMS
Campaign Setting, the timeline has advanced about
one hundred years. That’s quite a jump, but one that
was necessary to widen the lens on a brand-new
vista of potential stories and adventures in Toril, and
beyond.
This is a big adjustment, but DMs and players
who are deeply invested in their campaigns and
their characters don’t have to throw out their current
games. You can incorporate the new ideas in this edition of the campaign setting by planning for change.
If you have an active campaign that follows the
timeline of the previous edition, you can advance
your game a hundred years fairly easily with a few
adjustments. Here are some suggestions for handling
the timeline change in your game.
Advancing the Timeline
The easiest way to adjust your campaign is not to
change it at all at once. Continue your game’s events
in 1375 DR and beyond if you wish, perhaps using
some of the events described in Chapter 6 and in
Grand History of the Realms to introduce the “future
history” of the setting into your campaign. Once you
reach a natural stopping point, you can start a new
campaign in the Year of the Ageless One. (Starting a
new campaign is also the easiest way to transition to
the 4th Edition DUNGEONS & DRAGONS rules.)
The Spellplague of 1385 DR is an exciting, apocalyptic event that can be a great way to wind up your
current campaign. Include your players’ characters
in the story somehow, in a way that mirrors (or is
woven directly into) the murder of Mystra by Cyric,
as abetted by Shar. Perhaps the events that lead up to
the Spellplague foreshadow a dungeon, event, or story
element of your new campaign.
Advancing
the Characters
If your players don’t want to create new characters,
bring the PCs forward into the new timeline. One
way to accomplish this task is to use the Spellplague
itself. Instead of being destroyed, the PCs are
encased in a timeless magical matrix, like insects in
amber. The chrysalis finally dissolves or is broken
by external forces in the Year of the Ageless One.
The player characters emerge, blinking and dusting themselves off, none the worse for wear (though
perhaps some of them have gained a spellscar in the
meantime).
40
Another way to move your characters ahead is a
slowtime portal. Portals are all over Toril, and many
of them behave unpredictably. Any portal can displace a character in space, but as the sages know,
time and space are two sides of the same coin. A malfunction in a portal’s normal operation could cause
the PCs to emerge a century into the future. The
characters might even know full well that the portal’s
destination is unmoored in time, but they choose to
enter because they are on the trail of a villain they’ve
long sought and are pledged to bring to justice.
You can also advance characters in time by proxy.
Instead of moving the original characters in the new
timeline, your players take the roles of descendants
of their current characters, pledged by family honor
to wield the weapons of their ancestors and to finish
the quests they left to their heirs. The characters can
retain their concepts and general power level but use
the 4th Edition D&D rules.
TRAVE
TRAVELING
AVELING
LING
N THE
T E WORLD
WOR D
The continent of Faerûn in 1479 DR is not the cosmopolitan grid of trade routes it was of old. Disasters,
rampaging monsters, and the rise of evil empires
have changed the landscape. Many roads have fallen
into disrepair, several ports are high and dry, and
numerous once-vital cities are now empty shells or
drowned ruins.
But to the bold, venturing into the darkness
between points of light remains an exciting and
rewarding enterprise. Traveling cross-country is dangerous and often difficult—the following means of
transportation are safer and easier.
Roads: Some roads remain in good condition,
requiring only sturdy boots or a mount to make good,
if slow, headway.
Caravans: Trade caravans travel both on and
off road, and those wishing to travel long distances
should consider signing on. Characters might be able
to hire on as guards for the journey.
Ships: Travel by water remains popular between
cities with river or sea ports.
Portals: Few portals still function, and only the
very lucky ever stumble upon those. However, spellcasters can perform rituals that allow quick travel
between widely separated places.
Flight: Some nations have aerial transport, including High Imaskar, Tymanther, and Netheril, but such
conveyances are rarely available for the use of adventuring companies.
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Adventuring and
the Law
By definition, adventurers are well armed and magically capable beings. They are incredibly dangerous
to their enemies—and not always healthy even for
their friends to be around. Still, most residents of the
Heartlands and the North are well disposed toward
adventurers of good intent. They know that such
people live daily with risks they would never be willing to face themselves.
Adventurers who pledge allegiance to a ruler or
country whose attitudes coincide with their own can
gain an adventuring charter that grants legitimacy
and the protection of a powerful patron. Chartered
adventurers are considered officers of the realm
they serve, given some powers of arrest, and granted
protection against the interference of local lords, as
guaranteed by the terms of their charter.
Royal Charter of Cormyr
In Cormyr, it’s not just advisable to obtain a charter—
it’s the law. The kingdom keeps close tabs on those
who travel the countryside bearing arms and who
seemingly have no higher purpose than to seek
adventure. Without a charter, adventurers can be
apprehended by any force representing the king,
including the Purple Dragons and local militia.
A charter can be obtained through the Lord Commander of Castle High Horn, the Warden of the
Eastern Marches in Castle Crag, or the Lord High
Marshal at the Royal Court in Suzail. Basic charters
have an annual cost of 25 gp but are not always a
guarantee of free passage, since they can be forged
fairly easily. Hand-lettered, gold-foil charters personally signed by Cormyr’s ruler cost 1,000 gp, with an
annual renewal fee of 300 gp.
Amnian Writ of Marque
Adventurers, especially spellcasters, are outlawed in
Amn unless they are licensed by the Council of Five.
A legal writ of marque issued in Athkatla authorizes
the holder to draw swords, cast magic, and attack
sea vessels free from persecution and under the full
protection of the Five Houses. Foreigners view adventurers carrying an Amnian writ of marque as little
more than pirates and treasure hunters.
HISTORY
The FORGOTTEN REALMS setting is rich in lore and
history. Like our own world, Toril has been sculpted
and shaped by the merciless winds of history and
time. Ancient wars, terrible catastrophes, personal
tragedies, and great triumphs have all given rise to
consequences that in turn caused other wars and
disasters. Thus has the endless cycle of cause and
effect been propagated across thousands of years and
hundreds of cities and kingdoms.
The most common account of Toril’s prehistory
traces its roots back to ancient Netheril. This popular
human myth recounts the creation of the universe
by Lord Ao and the epic struggle between the gods of
light and darkness that followed. Only recently have
other, more ancient legends come to light, recounted
by the sarrukh of Okoth and echoed by the dragonborn of Returned Abeir. By combining common
threads from both accounts, backed by diligent factfinding missions, scholars and historians of today
have gained a clearer understanding of the creation
of the universe.
The Creation
In the beginning existed a misty realm of timeless
nothingness, crafted by Ao the Hidden One from the
raw elemental bedlam of the Phlogiston. Within this
dim sphere, several worlds drifted upon the Sea of
Night. Though the worlds were lifeless and barren at
this time, powerful beings of manifest entropy and
SUNDERED ABEIR
In the final days of the batrachi civilization (c. –31,000
DR), an unimaginable catastrophe struck Toril. It is said
that the amphibioids were waging a losing war against
the titan armies of Annam’s brood. In their desperation,
the batrachi performed an epic ritual of summoning that
released several primordials from their imprisonment.
The gods quickly moved against their ancient foes, resulting in terrible earthquakes, fires, and windstorms that
swept across the planet. During the tumult, a primordial
calling herself Asgoroth the World Shaper even hurled
an ice moon at Toril, intent on destroying the world she
couldn’t claim as her own. Yet before the world was torn
completely asunder, the Hidden One intervened. Lord
Ao created a twin of the planet, granting the primordials dominion over the new world of Abeir and the gods
control over the original world of Toril. Ancient sarrukh
accounts remark on the “changing of the stars,” but until
the Spellplague and the return of Abeir, very few paid
these legends any heed.
H I S TO R Y
Planewalking: The planes of the Shadowfell and
the Feywild conform somewhat to Toril’s geography,
allowing travelers to bypass something untoward in
the world by moving into one of those other planes
for a bit. Special rituals allow a planar shortcut for
quicker travel. (Of course, the other planes have hazards of their own.)
41
6/18/08 7:54:37 AM
elemental might coveted them. The name of their
kind has been lost to the ages; the few sages who
today know of their existence refer to them simply as
the primordials.
Unknown to the primordials, detritus remaining
from its creation coalesced around the universe as an
ocean of silvery liquid. From this glittering realm of
starlight formed beautiful twin beings, polar opposites of each other, one dark and one light. The twin
goddesses birthed of the Astral Sea quickly moved to
defend the virgin worlds from the destructive primordials. Other gods were created from the residue of the
deific battles or summoned from other dimensions
to aid in the fight against the primordials and their
monstrous servants.
Shadow Epoch
While the gods and primordials contested for ages,
life struggled into existence on the worlds they coveted. The blue jewel Toril sparkled brightest of them
all, home to a race of sea creatures that huddled
in the depths of the world’s single vast ocean. This
Blue Age came to a sudden and chilling end when
Toril was inexplicably plunged into darkness, its
sun snatched from the sky by a sinister primordial
CALENDARS AND
TIMEKEEPING
Almost every land and race has its own preferred system
for marking the passing years. The folk of the Moonshaes
mark the ascendancy of Cymrych Hugh to the throne of the
High King thirteen centuries ago as the start of their calendar. Waterdhavians reckon years from the date Ahghairon
became first Lord of Waterdeep almost 500 years ago.
The calendar used in this tome is Dalereckoning (DR).
The year 1 DR was marked by the first raising of the
Standing Stone and the pact between the elves of Cormanthor and the first human settlers of the Dalelands
almost 1,500 years ago.
Very few common folk bother with musty calendars
and meaningless numbers. Instead, years are known by
names. For example, 1479 DR—the current year—is called
the Year of the Ageless One.
Most folk use the Calendar of Harptos to mark the
passage of days. Each year of 365 days is divided into 12
months of 30 days. Five special days fall between months,
marking the seasons or the changing of seasons. Once
every four years, Shieldmeet is added to the calendar as
a leap day, immediately following Midsummer night.
The words “hour” and “minute” are creeping into use
in the world. “Sandglasses” (hourglasses of various sizes)
are known in most houses and shops. Sundials and waterclocks exist but seldom tell time accurately for more than
about a third of a day, so they are considered mere fripperies or curiosities for nobles and temples.
42
known as the Night Serpent. Global temperatures
plummeted, and soon, most life on the planet became
extinct.
Little is known of this Shadow Epoch, but sarrukh myths and legends speak of climactic battles
throughout this age between the primordials and
the Elder Gods led by Ouroboros the World Serpent.
Ultimately, the tide was turned when the primordials were betrayed by one of their own. Ubtao the
Deceiver assisted the elder gods in slaying, imprisoning, or driving away the remaining primordials.
Days of Thunder
–35,000 DR to –30,000 DR
Eons passed before sunlight warmed the world once
more. Oceans thawed, then receded, allowing dry
land to rise above the frigid water. In this ancient
time, much of Toril’s landmass was a single supercontinent named Merrouroboros.
The creator races each dominated Merrouroboros
in turn, creating or producing as offspring a host
of lesser races. The noble fey never dominated the
continent; they chose instead to rule the Feywild, an
otherworldly realm loosely connected to Toril. These
ancient peoples were known to later races, including
elves and humans, by the Elven name iqua Tel’Quessir,
or the Creator Races.
Dawn Ages
–30,000 DR to –24,000 DR
The empires of the Creator Races faded into memory,
ushering in the Time of Dragons and Giants. Individual dragons and dragon clans ruled large swaths
of territory and battled with their rivals for control of
the land, seas, and skies. During this period of devastating warfare among the dragons, isolated pockets
of formerly dragon-ruled territory came under giant
control. Over time, such giant-ruled kingdoms threatened the hegemony of dragonkind, leading to great
battles. Severely weakened after a thousand years of
war, the giants were saved from annihilation when
fey high magic sent the wyrms into a suicidal paroxysm of rage and destruction.
The First Flowering
–24,000 DR to –12,000 DR
The great elven civilizations of Aryvandaar, Illefarn,
Miyeritar, Shantel Othreier, and Keltormir reached
their peak during this age. As a result of the elves’
success against orc hordes, dragons, and giants, other
races (including humans) thrived in safety and began
the slow climb to civilization.
This age also witnessed the unbridled fury of the
Sundering, a disastrous invocation of high magic
that cracked Merrouroboros asunder, creating
6/18/08 7:54:37 AM
H I S TO R Y
the disparate continents of Faerûn, Maztica, and
Katashaka. Among the turbulent waters of the newly
formed ocean later known as the Trackless Sea rose
the Green Isle of Evermeet, thought to be a piece of
Arvandor and a bridge between worlds.
The Crown Wars
–12,000 DR to –9000 DR
Many nations in the south fell during this terrible
time, including Thearnytaar, Eiellûr, Syorpiir, and
Orishaar. The Dark Disaster (–10,500 DR) utterly
destroyed the forest realm of Miyeritar, leaving
the blasted plains known today as the High Moor.
Perhaps due to the savagery of the Crown Wars or
other factors long lost to time, the dark elves became
corrupt during this era. They broke away from their
kinfolk, and after much warfare and cruelty, they
were banished beneath the world’s surface to become
the drow (dhaeraow or ”traitor” in Elven).
The Founding Time
–9000 DR to –3000 DR
Also known as the Age of Proud Peoples, this era
signaled the rise of many humanoid civilizations in
a time when the dragons and giants had been long
overthrown and the elves’ wars no longer threatened everyone. Dwarven civilization in particular
blossomed; the dwarves founded the kingdoms of
Shanatar, Sarphil, Oghrann, Haunghdannar, Ghaurraghaur, Besilmer, Ammarindar, and Delzoun during
this era. The fey realms of Siluvanede, Sharrven,
Eaerlann, and Evereska were established at this time,
as were the mighty human nations of Calimshan and
Jhaamdath.
Age of Humanity
–3000 DR to 1358 DR
With the elven and dwarven empires in decline,
this era marked a dramatic increase in human
expansion on Toril. The mighty human empires of
Netheril, Imaskar, Mulhorand, Unther, Narfell, and
Raumathar arose during this period. Great human
nations developed in lands beyond Faerûn as well,
B E N WO OT T E N
GRAND HISTORY
OF THE REALMS
ranging from the far eastern realms of Wa and Shou
Lung in Kara-Tur, through Zakhara, to the distant
shores of Maztica.
Era of Upheaval
1358 DR to Present
Scholars today mark the calamitous events of the
Avatar Crisis in the Year of Shadows (1358 DR) as
the start of the Era of Upheaval. Few in those early
days could have possibly predicted that the physical and magical chaos of the Time of Troubles was
merely a prelude to the Spellplague and the cataclysmic merging of two worlds that would follow. Though
the union with Abeir was brief, its mark on Toril was
significant and enduring. Even the gods themselves
know fear for the first time in eons, for their numbers
are diminished and the long-banished primordials have returned to oppose them and sow chaos
throughout the cosmos.
Dungeon Masters who are interested in the definitive histor y of the FORGOTTEN REALMS world are
encouraged to review the Grand History of the Realms
supplement. In addition, updates to the Grand History’s extensive and comprehensive timeline will
periodically be made available online at D&D Insider
(http://www.dndinsider.com).
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TREASURES
As described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, treasures
discovered at various levels add up to certain ranges
of value (250 gp to 1,500 gp at the heroic tier, 2,500
gp to 7,500 gp at the paragon tier, and 15,000 gp to
50,000 gp at the epic tier). Sometimes several items
of lesser value make up appropriate treasures at
each tier.
The art objects and other items in this section can
add a level of detail to small finds and provide useful
and unique rewards for characters in lieu of mere
coin. None of these items are magical. Their value is
derived from their components and the rarity of each
object. Many of these items are one of a kind and
would be highly prized by nobles or collectors.
75 gp: A mirror made of reflective, polished electrum, set in a silver frame. The back panel of the
mirror has a design of a smiling, female fey face.
90 gp: A basinet helm, polished and in pristine
condition, adorned with a brilliant red plume and
etched with the signature rune of former First
Lord Maalthiir of Hillsfar.
100 gp: A large bowl in good condition, made of
hammered gold, worked in a design of leaping
dragons fighting warriors armed with spears.
100 gp: A Netherese armillary sphere providing
a near-flawless model of Toril and the principal
celestial circles of the stars above.
100 gp: A quill pen case made of gold, held shut by
a clasp. Carved into the case is a scene of a scribe
writing in a tome, sitting on a stool amid stacks of
parchment; the symbol of Deneir is engraved on
the opposite side.
100 gp: A solid bronze astrolabe, crafted in Sembia
and useful for tracking the sun, planets, and stars
across the Sea of Night.
100 gp: A copper chamber pot, embossed with the
design of a rampant, stylized dragon.
250 gp: A delicate gold-plated clockwork toy made in
the image of a cockatrice and crafted by Gondsmen, retrieved from Lantan’s Rest.
260 gp: A small, ornate bronze brazier with inset
gems mined from the Underchasm, 18 inches in
diameter.
500 gp: A Cormyrian velvet doublet, fronted by a row
of amethyst buttons.
Heroic Tier Treasures
50 gp: A 1-inch cube of beaten gold stamped with
holes for the pips of a 6-sided die.
50 gp: A deck of Talis cards, consisting of four
12-card elemental suits (stones, waves, winds, and
flames) and the traditional 22-card major arcana
(Sun, Moon, Star, Comet, Throne, Key, Night, and
so on).
500 gp: A fine black marble pestle and mortar of
Rashemi make, once owned by Khelben “Blackstaff ” Arunsun.
1,000 gp: A gorget, crescent-shaped and sans strap,
made of steel plated with mirror-smooth silver,
slightly tarnished. It bears a fine line-cut design of
a star set with a brilliant emerald.
1,000 gp: A monocle made from a polished diamond
lens in a gold frame, with hooked and pierced sidehandle, but without a ribbon or cord.
50 gp: A magnificent dragon marionette puppet
made of Shou silk from Nathlan.
1,000 gp: A platinum belt buckle with a crescent
moon insignia in black pearl.
55 gp: A silver aspergillum consecrated to the dead
god Helm. Its chamber can hold up to 1 pint of
holy water.
1,000 gp: A sava set, containing a game board and
finely carved alexandrite figurines representing the armies of Calim and Memnon during the
Second Era of Skyfire
1,000 gp: An hourglass, the base and top of which
were ornately painted in Calimshan and filled
with precise measures of ground gem dust in
Waterdeep.
B E N WO OT T E N
65 gp: A pear-shaped lute with four sets of paired
strings that produce rich tones, made of fine Vundwood, red-brown in color, and smelling rather like
cinnamon.
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1,500 gp: A bottle of Berduskan Dark (vintage
1385 DR).
Paragon Tier Treasures
2,500 gp: A scroll made of precious Ra-khati vellum
recovered from the rubble of the Shou Embassy in
Elversult following its destruction in 1373 DR; the
face of the scroll bears the seal of First Emperor
Chin of the Ho Dynasty.
2,500 gp: A glaur horn, valved and plated in electrum, said to have been winded by Torm himself.
Its curved shape of Elturgard design makes its tone
a brash, metallic roar that other trumpets cannot
begin to match.
2,500 gp: A merchant’s wagon filled with several
dozen casks of Luiren’s Best stout.
2,600 gp: Five well-preserved Nexalan tabacco
cigars stored in a small humidor crafted of fine
phandar wood.
2,700 gp: A large (6 feet wide by 12 feet long) tapestry of spun silver with some gold. It depicts three
gowned maidens standing in a moonlit garden
beneath seven stars.
3,000 gp: 10 pounds of Maztican chili peppers,
dried and perfectly preserved (rare and getting
rarer each year).
3,000 gp: A solid gold corkscrew with a fire opal set
into each tip of the handle.
4,000 gp: Perfume in a cut ruby bottle sealed with
wax and stamped with the royal device of the
Grand Caliph of Zakhara (c. 1372 DR).
5,000 gp: A Thayan ornamental skullcap of beaten
gold, cut in the shape of thorny vines meeting,
curling away, and meeting again, with a jacinth on
the brow.
5,000 gp: A singular, hand-lettered book with
platinum-edged, beaten gold covers, titled Triumph Exemplar and written in Loross. The book is
a chronicle of the wars of Netheril published in
221 DR.
6,000 gp: A flagon carved of diamond, polished
glass-smooth.
7,500 gp: A pair of bracers made of platinum and
worked in mock scales with four circular bosses
about each one, the center of each boss being a
claw holding a small ruby.
Epic Tier Treasures
15,000 gp: A Nar death mask, forged of Imaskari
steel and studded with astral diamonds, in mint
condition.
20,000 gp: An astonishingly accurate copy of the
Crown of Narfell, given to the first Nentyarch by the
demon lord Orcus.
20,000 gp: A half-mask of black bone backed by
leather, its lower edge trimmed with tiny black
diamonds, worn by Szass Tam for over a decade.
23,000 gp: An oak staff, once wielded by Amaunator, shod with astral diamonds at the base. The
head of the staff is an astral diamond carved in the
shape of a flaring sun.
30,000 gp: A drow lantern that sheds darkness.
33,000 gp: A silver bust, fashioned in the shape of
the head of Asmodeus (side view, facing right) with
a fire opal set as the eye. The statue is rumored to
sometimes speak secrets of Hellish origin.
45,000 gp: A silver hair comb, its handle carved into
a dragon’s head with a ruby set as an eye; said to be
a gift from vanished Mystra to Syluné Silverhand.
50,000 gp: A strand of Mystra’s hair wound about a
gold pin.
50,000 gp: A black iron key said to be one of the
seven required to unlock Cyric’s shackles on the
Supreme Throne.
COINAGE AND CURRENCY
Coins come in a bewildering variety of shapes, sizes,
and materials, minted all over the world. Because such
a variety of coins are in circulation, most people simply
use whatever coinage passes by.
A coin’s value is expressed in the weight of the precious metal of which it is made. The current standard is:
10 copper pieces (cp) = 1 silver piece (sp); 10 silvers or
100 coppers = 1 gold piece (gp); and 10 gold pieces = 1
platinum piece (pp).
In Waterdeep, copper pieces are called nibs, silver
pieces are shards, gold pieces are dragons, and platinum
pieces are suns. In Sembia, iron steelpence replace copper
coins; silver pieces are ravens, and gold pieces are nobles.
In lieu of platinum pieces, Sembia mints electrum pieces
(ep) known as blue-eyes, each equal in value to 5 gp.
Coins are not the only form of hard currency. Many
merchants prefer to use trade bars, which are ingots of
precious metals and alloys stamped or graven with the
symbol of the trading coster or government that crafted
them. A one-pound trade bar of gold is valued at 50 gp,
and heavier bars are worth proportionately more.
T R EA S U R E S
1,000 gp: A bottle of Evermead from the Green Isle
(vintage 1123 DR).
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GLOSSARY
Language is a living, changing thing. Using some of
the following words during play is a great way to add
color to roleplaying. This section is a crash course on
how to use “Realmspeak.”
These words can help set the mood during
encounters, but there’s no need to try all of them,
or use any that seem to break the mood. Overuse of
dialect or invented words is clumsy, but you can bring
the setting to life by sprinkling in isolated words and
phrases from those below, or by inventing words
whose context makes their meanings clear.
Most of these terms and expressions are in Common.
Those from other languages are so identified.
Descriptive Terms
Art: All magic not bestowed by the gods (arcane
power) The word is always capitalized; “art” refers
to painting, carving, sculpting, and composing
(performance isn’t considered art, which is something you can see and touch).
Bedine: The name of a tribe that used to roam the
former Anauroch Desert (now Netheril). In the
present day, still used as a tribal name—but now
many Bedine are city-dwellers, and others are
separatists who oppose the Netherese.
in polite conversation but left for cynical, disbelieving, or openly derisive speech. (“Kings always say
they’ll clean all monsters out of the woods. Oh,
and they kell, too, for a tenday, sometimes sending
more than one knight to do it, too!”)
mythal: A permanent, site-based enchantment of
powerful fey magic.
Nentyarch: The title that the druids of the Great
Dale use to identify their leader.
noble fey, the: Powerful eladrin of the Feywild.
plaguechanged: The term for creatures touched by
the first wave of Spellplague in the Year of Blue
Fire; usually horrible monsters.
plagueland: A generic term describing anyplace
where active Spellplague yet burns.
Plaguewrought Land, the: A specific location, the
largest plagueland in Faerûn.
portal: A magical “doorway” that permits instantaneous travel between two distant locations. Many
of the portals on Faeûn were destroyed or warped
by the Spellplague.
Returned Abeir: The continent that was fused to
Toril west of the Trackless Sea during the events of
the Year of Blue Fire.
rivvim: Smitten (as in “I’m fair rivvim when I look
upon her”); the term is polite and used of both
genders.
changelands: A generic term for a piece of terrain
that clearly doesn’t fit in with the surrounding terrain, likely due to the Spellplague.
scorchkettle: A woman who delivers impressively
blistering words to someone in public; see also
“hawksnarl.”
earthmote: A floating chunk of landscape hanging
in the sky.
sellsword: A well-established or veteran mercenary,
or one of impressive reputation.
earth node: A place where magical power is
concentrated.
Spellplague, the: The event in 1385 DR resulting
from Mystra’s death that altered magic and the
world forever. Also used to refer to the effect or
substance left behind in places where the event
occurred.
Ffolk: One of two groups of people (the other being
the Northlanders) who inhabit the Moonshae Isles.
genasi: Humanoids of elemental heritage, native to
Abeir but numerous in many places across Faerûn
as well.
gulletfire: bad beer or wine.
hawksnarl: A man who’s always yelling or blustering, or is nastier or more aggressive than prudent
or necessary (more strongly: “a real hawksnarl”).
highsun: Noon, technically the moment the sun is at
its highest point. Most folk use the term to mean
midday, the two hours or so around noon.
kell: Try. The word is used only when what’s being
attempted is dangerous, unfinished, tricky, or
doubtful. “Kell” doesn’t change with tense, and it
sometimes is used in place of “done,” as in, “You’re
not going to kell stealing that, are you?” and “Kell
such feats often, have you?” The word is not used
46
spellscar: A brand of blue fire that grants an ability,
usually beneficial but with some negative aspect.
spellscarred: The term for a creature (usually
humanoid) touched by later, less virulent strains of
the Spellplague and possessing a spellscar.
spurnarmor: A well-endowed man or woman (as in
“Galad! What a spurnarmor!”).
tenday: Literally, ten consecutive days, used where
real-world speakers would say “week.”
throatslake: Anything drinkable that takes care of
thirst and doesn’t cause illness in doing so, but isn’t
particularly pleasant.
Uthgardt: The name shared by several tribes of
human nomads that occupy wilderness areas
within Luruar and the High Forest, referred to by
others as “Uthgardt barbarians.”
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Greetings and Partings
Alae (ah-lay): “Fortunate meeting.” A contraction of
an old Elven phrase, used as a general greeting
and reassurance of peaceful intent.
Durgos (dur-ghosz): “Peace.” A corruption of the orcs’
durgreos (see below), used by dragonborn, many
traders, sailors of all races, and almost all slave
traders.
Durgreos (dur-gree-ohzz): “No quarrel.” A greeting
and parting response used by orcs.
Hykyath (hik-ah-yath): “Prance!” Once a satyr parting, but now used by half-elves and elves (and
even, sarcastically, to mean “Look lively!” by sailors, warriors, and orcs).
Lammath drios (lham-math dree-ohs): “Fortune find
you.” A parting used all around the Sea of Fallen
Stars but not favored in Sembia, where it’s thought
to be “low” speech, fit only for bumpkins and
country dung carters.
Rhambukkya (ram-bookh-yah): “Ride high.” Used as
both greeting and parting in Elfharrow and all
lands east and south.
Sabbas (sab-bas): “Run free.” A parting used by centaurs, and increasingly by nomads and riders of
other races.
Stettar voh (stet-tar voh): “Gods-power keep you well.”
A formal, peaceful greeting and parting among
merchants in southern Faerûn and in Returned
Abeir.
Tantam (tan-tam): “Hello.” Peaceful way-greeting
across northern Faerûn.
Uluvathae (oo-loo-vaw-thay): “Fortune bring you joy.”
A friendly, informal greeting and parting used by
elves and half-elves to others of any race whose
company they welcome; between close friends, it
is a neutral greeting, or a warning: “Say nothing;
we’re being listened to.”
Vlandranna (vlan-dranna): “Gods grant,” meaning
may that which is spoken of occur by their will.
An old, corrupted Dwarven word now used by all
races around the Inner Sea and lands east and
north of there.
Forms of Address
In most cities, a male stranger is politely addressed as
“goodsir” and a female as “goodwoman” or sometimes
“fairlady.” Known nobles and officials are “Lord” and
“Lady,” with “milord” and “milady” used (to be safe)
when addressing a person who seems grand, wealthy,
or important, but whose precise rank is uncertain.
When formally addressing a known, specific
person (male or female), either in writing or an official speech, his or her title is used (even a workaday
title such as Guildmaster or Master Mason). If a
man lacks such a designation, he is referred to not
as “goodsir” but as “Goodman” (“Goodman Draekur
of Thistle Lane”). A woman in such circumstances is
always styled “Goodwoman.” When the person being
described is known not to be human, “Goodfaer” is
used, regardless of gender.
Racial and
Collective Terms
Racial terms aren’t always disparagements, or taken
that way. However, care should be taken when using
some of the following expressions.
beast-men: Ogres (formerly used only by humans,
now also used by gnomes and halflings). Uncomplimentary, but ogres are generally hostile anyway.
brittlebones: humans (used only by orcs).
Fair Folk, the: Elves and eladrin (elves use this only
to mean eladrin).
Free Folk, the: Satyrs (a human term now used by
all races, including satyrs).
hin: Halflings (informal but polite; everyday usage
among halflings).
hurbryn: Humans (a term among satyrs and dryads
meaning “heavy-footed ones,” now used by halflings and creeping into usage by other races).
manyhanded, the: Humans (derived from “the
Manyhanded Curse,” an old elven insult).
meat: All intelligent prey (used only by orcs).
Mighty, the: Orcs (used only by orcs to speak of their
own race).
oroosh: Humans (used by treants, this literally means
“never-stopping talkers”).
People, the: Elves (used only by elves).
Proud Peoples, the: Dwarves and elves, collectively
(used only by humans, and becoming archaic).
Quick Folk, the: Halflings (considered complimentary, and often used by halflings to refer to
themselves).
Quiet Folk, the: Gnomes.
Sly Folk, the: Halflings (mainly used by dwarves
and humans).
sorn: Drow (used only by eladrin, elves, half-elves,
and drow themselves).
Stout Folk, the: Dwarves.
worms: Goblins and small or puny orcs (used only by
orcs). Insulting.
G LO S S A R Y
Weave, the: A term for magic; once used to mean
magic mediated by Mystra.
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CHAPTER 3
Magic
3
Toril is
infused with magical power. Arcane
secrets whisper to those with the ears to hear: in the
eons-long movement of the continents, in rushing
river rapids, in every breath of beasts great and small,
and in the sighing cries of the wind. Raw magic is the
stuff of creation itself, suffusing every bit of matter
and every manifestation of energy.
Characters call on magical power to perform
mighty rituals, enforce pacts with enigmatic entities,
or accomplish wondrous feats. Dangerous monsters,
too, use magic to accomplish their ends. Aberrations
spawned by ancient power seethe and hunger below
and above the earth. Dragons’ blood runs with magic
so potent that even gods fear to face the most ancient
of these mighty beings. Undead fuel their minds
and protect their corpses from dissolution through
powerful necromantic rituals—especially liches,
whose never-ending acquisition of arcane knowledge
has propelled some into contention with the gods
themselves.
Magic is so close to every surface that Toril is rife
with fantastic landscapes. Great motes of free-floating
earth balance on nothing but air, and the unleashed
power of the Spellplague has twisted once-familiar
terrain into weird new shapes.
✦ The Spellplague: The Weave collapsed in a
moment with the murder of Mystra, unleashing
catastrophe across the world. This section
describes the effects of that magical disaster on the
lands and creatures of Toril.
✦ Fantastic Features: This section provides
information about the most common of Toril’s
wondrous features, both natural and artificial.
✦ Rituals: Some mighty rituals are beyond the
reach of the characters, or are so drenched in evil
that they threaten the existence of the world. This
section describes some example rituals that can be
used as story elements.
48
✦ Magic Items: Here you’ll find details about
storied items and minor artifacts unique to this
setting.
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THE SPELLPLAGUE
In the Year of Blue Fire (1385 DR), a magical disaster
called the Spellplague changed the face of Toril, its
lost sibling Abeir, and even the planes themselves.
Flesh, stone, magic, space, and perhaps even the flow
of time were infected and changed.
Most scholars believe that the Spellplague was
the direct result of the murder of the goddess Mystra
at the hands of Cyric, which Shar engineered. This
popular theory holds that magic was bound so long in
Mystra’s Weave that, when the goddess died, it spontaneously and ruinously burst its bonds. Areas of wild
magic, already outside the constraints of the Weave,
touched off first, but the plague raged on and on in
ever-widening spirals, devastating some places and
leaving others untouched. It even tore through the
realms of demons, gods, and lost souls before the end.
Ancient realms that had passed beyond easy reach
of the world were pulled back, such as the Feywild
(called Faerie in ancient days). The Abyss, home of
demons, fell through the planes, unleashing swarming evil before finding its new home at the bottom of
the Elemental Chaos. Even the long-forgotten sibling
world Abeir burned in the plague of magic, despite
having been cut off from Toril for tens of millennia. Portions of Abeir’s landscape were transposed
with areas of Toril in the disaster. Such landscapes
included their living populations, bringing realms
such as Akanûl and Tymanther to Faerûn’s face.
Across the Trackless Sea, an entire continent of the
lost world reappeared.
The Spellplague was a potent agent of change, but
it also set off a whole string of secondary catastrophes.
Effects on
Magic Items and Spells
Most items that permanently store magic, such as
weapons, armor, cloaks, and boots, survived the
Spellplague and continue to function normally. Even
though their creation used the Weave, permanent
access to magic was built into such items when they
were created. However, some items created prior
to the Spellplague temporarily stored “charges” of
THE WEAVE
For eons, magic in Toril was focused through the Weave,
controlled by the goddess Mystra. Although Netherese
wizards of ancient days learned the truth, most people
believed that magic would not be possible without the
deity’s existence. However, the death of Mystra gave the
lie to that belief. Now the term “Weave” is just another
name for magic, if it is used at all.
50
magic, such as wands and staffs. Such items either
no longer work or don’t function the same way they
used to.
Many creatures that had been able to cast spells
and channel magic through the Weave found themselves powerless in the Spellplague’s wake. Some
never regained their abilities. Others attuned themselves to the new magical environment, aided by a
diversity of talents, a process that took days for some
and years for others. Still others took shortcuts to
arcane power by swearing pacts to enigmatic beings.
Effects on
the Landscape
The Spellplague ate through stone and earth as readily as flesh and magic. Broad portions of the continent
of Faerûn collapsed into the Underdark, partially
draining the Sea of Fallen Stars into the Glimmersea
far below and leaving behind a gigantic pit called the
Underchasm. The event splintered the Old Empires
south of the drained sea into a wildscape of towering
mesas, bottomless ravines, and cloud-scraping spires.
Of those ancient lands, the most changed by the
Spellplague were Mulhorand, Unther, and Chondath,
as well as portions of Aglarond, the shores of the
Sea of Fallen Stars, and the Shaar. What was once
called Halruaa was destroyed in a great holocaust, as
if every spell held there had loosed its power simultaneously. The land bridge between Chult and the
Shining South was sunk; now only a scattered archipelago remains.
Tendrils of the Spellplague reached to many other
corners of Toril, sometimes bypassing great swaths
of land by infecting both sides of the many portals
that dotted the world. Such an effect might have
been responsible for drawing portions of lost Abeir
into Toril. Some sages suggest that the two worlds
THE SHADOW WEAVE
Just as Mystra controlled the Weave, the goddess Shar created and maintained the Shadow Weave as an alternative
conduit to magic. Not satisfied with her portion, Shar plotted to seize control of both when Cyric murdered Mystra.
She miscalculated. The Weave collapsed so completely
that Shar not only failed to gather up its fraying threads,
she also lost control over the Shadow Weave.
Just as magic persists without Mystra, so does the
power of shadow endure without Shar’s intercession.
Powerful necromancers have developed their own
unique methods for harnessing the dark energy of the
Shadowfell.
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Effects on Creatures
A creature, object, or spell touched by the Spellplague
usually dissolved into glowing, dissipating ash. Places
hit in the first few hours of the disaster twisted into
mad nightmares: delicate structures of mind-skewing
dimensions, half-melted cities, and shattered physical
and magical laws. Sometimes living creatures survived but were hideously mutated. In the worst cases,
they were altered, twisted, or fused to other creatures
(regardless of species) or even to portions of the landscape. Most such mewling horrors perished within a
few days.
A few things changed by the Spellplague survived
only by accepting the new reality. Living creatures
PLAGUECHANGED THREATS
Some plaguechanged creatures are unique threats. Such a
horror can form the nucleus of an adventure or an entire
campaign.
The Virushead: This creature sheds a hundred lethal
diseases each day from its rotting skin and phlegmy
exhalations. The Virushead was captured by the genasi
of Akanûl and encapsulated in magical stasis as a potential weapon against the Abolethic Sovereignty. Others in
Akanûl argue that the monster is too dangerous to use
and is better left in permanent stasis, lest the weapon
turn unexpectedly in the hand of its wielder.
The Plaguechanged Thing: A blob of rippling protoplasm fills more than a mile of caverns below the city of
Westgate. The Plaguechanged Thing was once a dwarf
excavator, but its extreme physical alteration has wiped
away all vestiges of its former shape. The creature’s mind
has vastly expanded, giving it impressive psionic abilities,
but its bulk is far too large for it to extricate itself or to
affect things beyond its lair.
so affected are differentiated into two broad groups:
plaguechanged and spellscarred.
Plaguechanged
A massive change in body and mind marks a creature that has survived contact with the original wave
of the Spellplague. Such survivors are called the
plaguechanged. Few of their descendants survive
today—the initial plague was so virulent, and the
changes wrought were so extreme. As well, many
decades have passed since the Spellplague’s end, and
old age claimed most of the plaguechanged. A few of
the horrifying things bred true, though.
Plaguechanged creatures are monsters, whatever
their original race, driven insane by their dreadful
metamorphosis. Even the least of them display potent
abilities. Luckily, few of these creatures leave the
plaguelands.
Spellscarred
Spellscars are usually gained when creatures come
too close to a plagueland, though sometimes they
afflict beings who have never had any contact with
rampant magic. Sometimes a spellscar is a physical
abnormality, but more often it is an intangible mark
that appears only when its power is activated. An
active spellscar might appear as jagged cracks of blue
light racing across the forearms and hands, a corona
of cerulean flame, a blazing blue glyph on the forehead, or perhaps even wings of cobalt flame. In all
instances, blue fire is a sure indicator of a spellscar.
A creature can learn to master its spellscar
through a variety of methods. (The FORGOTTEN R EALMS
Player’s Guide has more information.) Some beings
travel to plaguelands in hopes of gaining a spellscar;
such “scar pilgrimages” are encouraged by an organization called the Order of Blue Flame.
FANTAST
FANTASTIC
NTASTIC
TIC FEATURES
EATU
EA
URES
ES
Toril is not only home to strange beings, but it also
sports wondrous features. Some of these are natural,
others created, and still others aftereffects of cataclysms, earthly or otherwise.
Earth Nodes
Streams of invisible power run beneath the earth,
occasionally crossing and collecting in a single spot
like river flowing into a lake. Such rare collection
points are called earth nodes.
Features
An earth node’s power isn’t visible to the naked eye,
but such points are often eerily beautiful or bizarre.
CH A PTER 3 | Magic
FA N TA S T I C F EAT U R E S
have undergone periodic conjunctions ever since
they diverged, but that these were too subtle for most
creatures to notice. By an accident of timing, the
Spellplague occurred during just such a conjunction,
which caused the briefly overlapping lands to run
athwart each other instead of passing in the night as
before.
Pockets of active Spellplague still exist today,
most notoriously in the Plaguewrought Land. Each
of these plaguelands is strange and dangerous. No
two possess the exact same landscape or features,
but entering any of them could lead to infection by
the Spellplague. Luckily for the world, the remaining
plaguelands possess only a small fraction of the Spellplague’s initial vigor and are in hard-to-reach locales,
often surrounded by twisted devastation. Most lands
of Faerûn and Returned Abeir are entirely free of
such pockets, though the plaguechanged and spellscarred (see below) might appear in any land.
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A giant geode or a teardrop–shaped, smooth-sided
cavern might hold an earth node, as might any other
wondrous subterranean shape. Such a sight isn’t
always present, though, and the node’s power doesn’t
respect physical boundaries. Some nodes even extend
to the surface world.
The most common nodes are fairly small and
weak. The exact size of a node and its field of power
varies from as wide as half a mile to about 30 feet
across. Powerful nodes are rare and can radiate
their inf luence over a greater distance, but the
strength of the effect doesn’t always correlate to a
wider field.
A few nodes have concentrations of active Spellplague. These horrifying places are essentially small,
underground plaguelands called plaguecaves.
Sensing a Node
Anyone who approaches within 30 feet of the edge
of an earth node’s power is entitled to a DC 20 passive Arcana check. (The check can also be made by
a creature who is searching for the phenomenon.)
Success reveals the presence of the node to that individual. Anyone who senses the node’s power can use
that sense to map its boundaries, but doing so takes
time, requiring physical travel and observation.
Use
An earth node focuses magic, allowing the following
uses.
✦ A node can be used as if it were a permanent
teleportation circle (see the Linked Portal ritual,
PH 307). Those who use the node as a destination
arrive at its center, so the node’s physical dimensions might limit the number of travelers who can
arrive at once.
✦ An arcane caster in the node’s power field can tap
into its magic by making a DC 25 Arcana check
as a standard action. On a successful check, that
creature gains a +1 bonus to any one d20 roll each
round, as well as a +1 bonus to damage rolls with
all arcane attack powers.
✦ An earth node might have a specific ritual or rituals tied to it. Those within the node gain access
to those rituals’ effects, even if they do not have
the Ritual Caster feat. Most often, a node allows
the use of a Linked Portal ritual to travel to one
or more nearby nodes as if they were known permanent teleportation circles. Other nodes allow
the activation of a Planar Portal ritual, most commonly to destinations in the Elemental Chaos and
the Feywild. Many nodes include a variant of Leomund’s Secret Chest that allows the caster to store
items in a hidden, immovable demiplane connected to the node’s center. In any case, the node’s
52
user must still be of the appropriate level to use the
node’s rituals.
✦ A node can be incorporated into a living space.
One or more creatures trained in Arcana and
Dungeoneering must oversee such modifications.
Each overseer engages in a skill challenge (DMG
72) over the course of the building by making
DC 25 checks each week of ongoing construction
around the node. If at any time the number of
failures outnumbers the number of successes, the
node is destroyed by the work. The magical nexus
usually reconstitutes in another area within 1 mile
of the original node.
Earthmotes
Earthmotes are free-floating bits of landscape
that defy gravity to hover in the sky. Despite their
appearance, these islands in the sky are as stable
and durable as if they rested on the ground. Earthmotes are common along the edges of regions where
portions of Abeir replaced Toril’s landscape, as if
marking an imperfect seam between the fused
worlds. Two or more earthmotes might be found
together—in some places, small clusters of floating
islands hang like eternal clouds. However, they can
be found nearly anywhere, and lone earthmotes
(often called simply motes) have become familiar features in even the most staid lands.
Features
Earthmotes vary widely in size and altitude. Most are
level on top, like ledges atop sheer cliffs, and taper
to a point underneath so that they resemble upsidedown mountain peaks. Thus, climbing to the top of a
mote is difficult.
A few earthmotes move like clouds made of stone,
but most are stationary. They usually hang between
500 and 1,000 feet over the landscape, but some
motes hover lower or even abut an earthbound feature. Disruptions, whether natural or magical, on or
near an earthmote have no apparent effect on its ability to float.
Ecology
Nearly all earthmotes support life and seem to reflect
the natural landscape over or through which they
float. Motes are often named according to the type of
terrain they support—forestmotes, hillmotes, junglemotes, and prairiemotes are most common. Sometimes
spectacular cataracts pour from watermotes. These
falls never run dry, suggesting a connection with the
Elemental Chaos. Certainly, similar features exist on
that plane.
Some earthmotes are settled. They are highly
defensible and often rich in resources, making them
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Fey Mounds
highly sought after. Like any valuable territory, motes
are sometimes the objects of war and conquest.
Fey Sites
Inscribed, lintel-capped monoliths rise spontaneously
from the earth, forming the supporting pillars of a trilithon. Circles of mushrooms surround a low hillock
above which dance sparkles of light in the darkest
hour of night. Such fey sites are common throughout
Faerûn, and more so in the Feywild. Fey guardians watch over many such sites, defending against
interlopers.
Fey Crossroads
RON LEMEN
A fey crossroads is an entry to the Feywild. Countless
such ways are scattered across Toril. In some cases,
a fey crossroads resembles an arch, marked by a pair
of rune-scribed standing stones far enough apart to
form a door. Sometimes a lintel caps two monoliths,
and other times they stand like posts. Many fey crossroads are hidden from immediate view and require
the Walk CrossroadsPG ritual to discern. Such openings vary widely in size, but most are large enough to
allow a Huge creature to squeeze through.
A fey crossroads functions like a portal (page 54),
transporting a user to another such point elsewhere
in the world or a specific place in the Feywild. Like
portals, fey crossroads can be keyed, restricted, and
variable—often they deposit travelers in strange places
FA N TA S T I C F EAT U R E S
somewhere near the destination. In the wake of the
Spellplague, they can even be malfunctioning.
The Analyze PortalPG ritual doesn’t always work on
a fey crossroads. Increase the Arcana check DC by 5;
if the check result is less than 20, the caster gains no
information. Some folk, known as fey guides, make
a living by helping travelers use nearby crossroads.
Such individuals are also valuable sources of lore and
rumors about local fey activity.
Fey mounds are the hidden burial grounds of wild
fey. When such a creature dies, its companions bring
it to a mound and cover the body loosely with earth,
branches, and leaves, sometimes even leaving its
belongings behind. The body quickly decomposes,
burying items and adding another fine layer to the
heap. Mushrooms surround such mounds, though
they are not always obvious. Lights, ghostly giggling,
and fey apparitions are common near and on them.
Fey mounds can be sensed by those using Arcana
to detect magic (DC 27). In addition to the treasure
they’re known to store, their soil is held to be a powerful component in rituals to ensure the fertility of
a field. Some mounds function as fey crossroads or
have specific rituals tied to them like earth nodes.
Those who would trespass on fey mounds should
beware. Some are potent traps with innate powers
tied to them, such as sleep, illusion, and charm
effects. Living fey safeguard mounds and punish any
who profane these sacred sites. Such a guard receives
a +1 bonus to any one d20 roll each round while performing its duty.
Mythals
Mythals are enormous, layered magic constructions created by extensive and unique group rituals.
Such constructs protect Evermeet, Myth Drannor,
Evereska, Myth Nantar, and several other locations.
Although all mythals were buffeted by the Spellplague, many of them survived the catastrophe. Most
of those that shattered, such as the one that once sheltered Silverymoon, spared their lands from the worst
of the Blue Fire in so doing. The ancient high mages
wove mythals so well that their defenses adapted
even to the sundering of the Weave.
Features
During Mystra’s existence, mythals were tailored to
provide magical support to citizens and allies of the
enspelled area. Now they have lost much of their
potency, becoming protective fields that hinder enemies while helping allies.
A mythal might have some or all of the following
common effects within its area.
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✦ Evil or chaotic evil creatures can’t use effects that
have the teleportation keyword.
✦ Allied creatures gain a +2 bonus to saving throws.
✦ Any creature that activates a spellscar is affected
by the mythal for the rest of that day as if it were
evil.
✦ All attempts to teleport into the mythal’s area alert
wizards who are linked to it; such attempts fail
unless they are specifically allowed. Those permitted to enter arrive inside a heavily guarded and
magically warded area.
Variants
Some mythals have unique effects, and you can
tailor each one to be an effective storytelling device
as much as a defense. For instance, you could decide
that Myth Drannor’s mythal also blocks all portals
and prevents travel between planes, and that Evermeet’s allows residents to walk on any surface
regardless of gravity.
Plaguelands
Plaguelands are regions where the
Spellplague still runs amok, changing everything it contacts.
Features
Most plaguelands share common
features, though exceptions exist
among these anarchic regions.
From a distance, the affected landscape seems to be shrouded in a thick,
luminous blue fog. Up closer, the area seems to be
bounded by a standing liquid. Everything outside the
boundary is sharp-edged and clear; everything inside
is blurred and wavering, as if seen through blue fire.
Shapes writhe within, but from outside their nature is
impossible to determine.
Inside the boundary, the very land is mutable,
slowly sliding and flowing like boiling mud. Rivulets
of blue fire, foliage, and even the sky itself slowly mix
with the land in a great churn whose edges are the
horizon.
Navigation
Despite a plagueland’s amorphous appearance, the
swirling landscape supports travelers just as normal
ground does. As with travel across ordinary lands, a
plagueland’s mountains, rivers, and abysses can present danger. Sometimes the moving land can propel a
careless visitor into a chasm.
54
Some plaguelands are inhabited by plaguechanged
creatures, especially swarms of plaguechanged gibberlings (page 257).
Effects on Visitors
Within a plagueland, the wild magic of the Spellplague still runs rampant. Each hour that a creature
not already spellscarred or plaguechanged spends in
a plagueland subjects it to the terrible affliction.
A character who takes an extended rest in a
plagueland takes a –1 penalty to Fortitude defense
and loses one healing surge. Healing surges lost to
this effect can be regained only outside a plagueland.
The Fortitude penalty stacks, and it disappears as
soon as a character takes an extended rest outside a
plagueland. If this effect reduces a character’s Fortitude defense to 0, the character immediately dies in
an explosion of blue flame.
Characters who survive 24 or more consecutive
hours in a plagueland might qualify to choose a
spellscar, at the DM’s discretion. (See the FORGOTTEN
R EALMS Player’s Guide for more information about
spellscars.)
Portals
On Toril, magic portals link diverse places
in various ways. Most portals are simple
teleportation devices that whisk travelers
between distant locales, possibly even on
other planes. Others allow or limit
passage based on the designer’s
criteria. All portals are created for
a reason, but they often last longer
than their creators, so a portal’s purpose can be lost to time.
Features
A portal is an immovable magical surface of a size
and shape determined by its creator. This surface is
often situated in a physical frame, such as an arch or
doorway, that stands free rather than inside a wall.
This feature is the first clue to a portal’s magical
nature. A portal often allows those looking at it to
view the distant destination on the other side. Characters trained in Arcana can detect the magic of a
portal (DC 24) and use the Analyze PortalPG ritual to
learn more about it.
Operation
The most common type of portal allows those passing
through its surface to travel to a set destination, with
some limitations.
Putting any significant part of an object or body,
such as part of an arm or one’s head, through the portal’s surface transports the whole object or creature to
the destination. If a solid object blocks the destination
B E N WO OT T E N ( 2)
✦ Evil or chaotic evil creatures take a –2 penalty to
attack rolls, checks, and saving throws.
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Malfunctions
Even magic wanes or changes with time, and cataclysmic events, notably the Spellplague, also affect
how a portal functions. Such portals effectively
become traps, hindering or harming travelers. Most
of Toril’s existing portals are now malfunctioning.
The most common malfunction is an unintended
or random destination. A malfunctioning portal can
also give off strange supernatural effects, even changing the flow of time or pulling in curious explorers
from a distance. Numerous malfunctioning portals
connect to plaguelands across Faerûn, and a few even
allowed the Spellplague to travel between distant
territories, creating plaguelands where few would
p
expect
them.
MAGIC ITEMS
Each magic item is a legacy of someone’s specific purpose and exceptional skill. Although most folk have
seen trinkets that keep a house clean or a room cool,
such conveniences are not typically what is meant
by the term. Truly potent objects, such as those that
great heroes use, are found only in the possession of
the mighty.
Money can purchase minor items, but more
powerful magic is not usually found in shops. The
treasuries of fallen empires, as well as those of great
persons and monsters, are the most common sources
of potent magic items. Exceptional individuals, such
as PCs, can also make magic items for themselves.
Storied Items
A rich campaign setting makes it easy to tie even
basic magic items to the world. Their stories endure,
and they become legendary. Rather than finding a
standard head-slot item, for example, a character
might come upon a fabled Crown of Whispers. An
object related to the world makes the campaign more
enjoyable and immersive for a player, even if the
generic item is more powerful. And as the PCs travel
through the campaign world, they meet and interact
with NPCs who recognize legendary objects they
carry.
The storied items presented here are examples.
You can bring your world to life by creating others
that fit your own campaign’s history.
Crown of Whispers
Crafted in the year of the Fearless Peasant (926
DR) were these twin crowns for the coronation of
Princess Aliia and her Cormyrian consort, Rhiigard.
They ended up at the bottom of the Inner Sea when
Nadyra’s Glory, the ship carrying the princess, sank.
CH A PTER 3 | Magic
M AG I C I T E M S
space, the portal
doesn’t function.
If a creature
occupies the destination space,
the traveler is
instead shunted
to the nearest
open and safe
space at the destination. Only
if such a space
doesn’t exist does
the portal fail to
operate.
A wholly
unattended object, such as a flying arrow, can’t pass
through a portal by itself—it simply bounces off.
Powers and rituals used on one side don’t automatically affect the other, unless the portal was created
with that function.
Unless the portal has specific limitations, any
creature or object that can fit within its physical
dimensions can pass through it. Any number of travelers can enter at one time, as long as the portal’s size
can accommodate their passage.
Keyed Portals: A portal’s creator can set extra
limitations on the portal’s use. Such limitations vary
widely, but the most common requirement is a key.
Such a key might be a physical object, but it could
also be a specific time, a password, a ritual, a sort of
creature, or a particular power used on the portal.
Two or more of these keys might be linked; for example, a portal might require the use of a physical key at
sunset.
A keyed portal might open for a set amount of time
when the key is used, or it might allow passage to only
one creature at a time that uses the proper key.
Restricted Portals: A restricted portal allows
only specified creatures or objects through. It might
allow only creatures to pass, leaving objects behind,
or send creatures to one place and objects to another.
It could admit only creatures that have a particular
origin or keyword, or even a single named individual. Some restricted portals permit only light and
air in from the other side, forbidding passage to all
creatures and objects. Others allow communication
between two points, but no travel.
Variable Portals: A portal can have multiple
preset destinations. Such a portal might allow the
user to select from among them, or it might determine the destination based on the key used. Some
such portals send travelers to a location randomly
chosen from several possibilities.
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The succubus Soneillon,
the so-called Queen of
Whispers, is reputed to
have sunk the ship and
claimed the crowns for
her domain in the Giantspire Mountains. Though
Soneillon is gone, the
crowns remain in the hands
of her former servants, the hobgoblins of the Giantspire Gap (page 161).
Crown of Whispers
Level 10
This gold circlet rises to points above the temples and the center
of the brow. Three star rubies decorate the front.
Item Slot: Head
5,000 gp
Property: Gain a +2 item bonus to Diplomacy and Insight
checks.
Power (Daily): Minor Action. You gain a +2 item bonus to
attack rolls with a Charisma-based power you use before
the end of your turn. This bonus increases to +3 if the
power has the charm keyword.
Greatsword of
Impiltur
This weapon was forged by the
dwarves of the Earthfast Mountains as a ceremonial blade
for the monarchs of Impiltur.
Only twenty-five years after
its creation, the Greatsword
of Impiltur was stolen from
the royal vaults, probably by
fiendish agents. It was recovered
almost a century later by the
Horned Ranger, Eljak Ferenfal,
who returned it to King Halanter
II of Impiltur. It later sank in the
Inner Sea with the ship Nadyra’s
Glory, where Soneillon recovered
it. It eventually passed into the
hands of her death knight consort, Imbrar Heltharn. Soneillon and her consort were torn from the
world during the Spellplague, leaving their worldly
possessions behind. Now the blade is held by the hobgoblin champions of the Giantspires.
Greatsword of Impiltur
Level 15
This greatsword is forged of black iron engraved with dead
and wailing demons. Its dark pommel and guard look like a
balor impaled on the sword’s blade. Dark energy plays like
lightning over the weapon.
Lvl 15 +3
25,000 gp
Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you hit
with this weapon. The target is dazed until the end of
your next turn.
56
Goblin Totem
Goblins make weapons out of the bones of powerful
creatures. Two such items, the horn totem and the skull
totem, are described in the adventure in Chapter 1.
Goblin Totem
Level 2+
This crude weapon is carved from bone, its handle wrapped in
leather. Holding the totem makes you feel more capable of facing even formidably sized foes.
Lvl 2 +1
520 gp
Lvl 17 +4
65,000 gp
Lvl 7 +2
2,600 gp
Lvl 22 +5
325,000 gp
Lvl 12 +3
13,000 gp
Lvl 27 +6 1,625,000 gp
Weapon: Any
Critical: +1d6 damage per plus
larger than you have an additional bonus to damage rolls
equal to the weapon’s enhancement bonus.
Minor Artifacts
Minor artifacts are storied items, but they are more
powerful and legendary than most. Such an item is
usually in the possession of a mighty creature, often
the one who created it.
Unlike true artifacts such as those described in
the Dungeon Master’s Guide, a minor artifact is not
sentient and does not have a goal. However, it bestows
a number of properties and powers on its wielder.
Minor artifacts usually have strange quirks resulting
from their potent magic or the circumstances of their
creation.
Crown Jewel of Chessenta
Once a terrifying item known as a sphere of annihilation and venerated as part of the Cult of Entropy, the
Crown Jewel of Chessenta was changed by the Spellplague. See the “Chessenta” section in Chapter 6 for
more on this item.
Crown Jewel of Chessenta
Level 15
This fist-sized sphere of unfathomable blackness slowly orbits
about you, radiating menace.
Wondrous Item
Property: You gain a +1 item bonus to all defenses.
Property: You gain a +2 item bonus to saving throws.
Property: The Crown Jewel cannot be damaged by any
attack. The damage that would be dealt is redirected to
the attacker as an equal amount of force damage.
Power (At-Will): Move Action. You can make the Crown
Jewel fly at a speed of 8.
Power (At-Will ✦ Force, Healing): Standard Action. You
can direct the Crown Jewel to attack an enemy adjacent
to it. The attack uses your Charisma modifier vs. Fortitude, with a +1 bonus to the attack roll per five levels
you possess, and deals 2d10 + Charisma modifier force
damage per five levels you possess. A creature that is
reduced to 0 hit points by this attack is utterly destroyed,
and you regain 15 hit points.
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Manshoon’s Bloodmask
The vampire wizard Manshoon prefers to keep his
visage covered, so few know what he actually looks
like. To this end, he created a mask that covers most
of his head and grants him special protections. See
“Zhentarim” in Chapter 7 for more about Manshoon.
Manshoon’s Bloodmask (+6)
Level 30
This full-face mask of rich, dark cloth reveals only the wearer’s
eyes.
Item Slots: Head and neck
Enhancement Bonus: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will
Property: You gain a +6 item bonus to saving throws against
charm effects.
Property: You gain a +6 item bonus to Insight checks.
Property: You gain resist 10 to damage from all ranged
attacks.
Property: You can see invisible creatures as though they
were visible.
Property: You can understand any language, even if you
can’t speak it.
Property: If you are undead, your vulnerability to radiant
damage is negated while wearing the bloodmask.
Property: If you are a vampire, you can regenerate even
while exposed to sunlight.
Power (At-Will): Free Action. You can use the feather fall
power (wizard 2). You are cloaked in a cloud of shadowy
bat forms as you fall.
Quirks: If you are not undead, you spend two healing surges
when donning the bloodmask for the first time during a
day or at the beginning of any day in which the mask is
already worn.
You can regain healing surges lost to the bloodmask by
killing a sentient living creature and drinking its blood. You
can drink through the bloodmask, even though it covers
your mouth.
Undead sense the value of the bloodmask and gain a +2
bonus to attack rolls against a living creature that wears it.
B E N WO OT T E N ( 3)
HIGH MAGIC
Only elf and eladrin wizards of prodigious power and
prestige learn the secrets of high magic. These rituals
require dozens or hundreds of casters and can affect vast
areas. High magic can heal hundreds or lay waste to an
entire region. The most famous examples of its use are the
mythals that protect many fey lands to this day.
M AG I C I T E M S
Quirks: You must use a minor action each round to
maintain or to regain control over the Crown Jewel. If not so
controlled, the Crown Jewel stays within 8 squares of you
and orbits around your space at a fly speed of 4.
Potential users can attune to the Crown Jewel by
spending 24 hours with the item and succeeding on a DC
30 Arcana check. An attuned user can control the Crown
Jewel. If two or more attuned users try to control the item
at one time, those users make opposed Charisma checks,
the winner gaining control of the item for 1 round.
The leader of the Karanok family can control the Crown
Jewel without attuning to it and without having to beat
other attuned users in an opposed Charisma check.
Marlspire of Najara
One of the fabled naga crowns created by the yuanti, the Marlspire of Najara is the royal crown of that
nation. Members of the Hss’tafi tribe of yuan-ti
brought the crown to Najara (page 158) when they
were transported there in the Year
of Netted Dreams (–320 DR).
They gave the crown to the
great naga Terpenzi, creator
and first king of Najara,
as an offering of
fealty. Since then,
the Marlspire has
been the crown of
state in Najara, resting
on the brow of every
naga King of Snakes, up to
and including Jarant (page 158).
Marlspire of Najara
Level 28
This simple circlet of silvery metal has three long spines over the
brow and is engraved with a snake motif.
Item Slot: Head
Property: You gain a +1 item bonus to Will defense.
Property: If you have the reptile keyword, creatures that
have the reptile keyword take a –3 penalty to attack rolls
against you.
Property: Allies within 10 squares of you that have the
reptile keyword gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls.
Power (Daily): Minor action. You can see invisible creatures as though they were visible until the end of the
encounter.
Power (Daily ✦ Charm): Standard Action. Close burst 20,
affects only beasts that have the reptile keyword; +34 vs.
Will; the target is dominated (save ends; the target takes
a –8 penalty to the saving throw).
Quirks: If you don’t have the reptile keyword, creatures
that do have the reptile keyword gain a +2 bonus to all
defenses against you while you wear the Marlspire.
If you don’t have the reptile keyword, creatures that
have the reptile keyword gain a +2 bonus to damage
rolls against you while you wear the Marlspire. This bonus
increases to +4 for creatures of 11th level or higher, and to
+6 for creatures of 21st level or higher.
Scepter of the Chosen Tyrant
Fzoul Chembryl, with the help of Teldorn Darkhope,
once made a powerful relic of the Banite faith—the
Scepter of the Tyrant’s Eye. That weapon was destroyed
when Netheril attacked Zhentil Keep and killed
Fzoul. Upon Fzoul’s ascension, Bane gave him a
similar item, both as a tool and as a reminder of what
Fzoul lost to the Shadovar.
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Level 28
This impressive morningstar is studded with cruel barbs.
Enhancement Bonus: Attack rolls and damage rolls
Property: You cannot be disarmed of or drop the Scepter
unless you choose to do so.
Property: When Fzoul Chembryl wields the Scepter, it deals
an additional ongoing 10 psychic damage to targets hit by
its melee or ranged attack.
Power (Daily): Move Action. You gain a fly speed of 8 until
the end of your next turn. If you haven’t landed by that
time, you float safely to the ground.
Power (At-will • Force): Standard Action. You can make a
basic ranged attack with the Scepter: range 20; Dexterity
vs. AC. This attack deals the same amount of damage as
a melee attack would, but it is force damage instead.
Quirks: If you don’t serve Bane as your patron deity, you
take a –1 penalty to Will defense while you carry and use
the Scepter. If you’re good or lawful good, this penalty is –2.
Bane’s servants of 21st level and higher know when a
nonbeliever carries the Scepter. They can track the item’s
location without fail and receive a +1 bonus to attack rolls
against the carrier and all of that creature’s allies.
Thakorsil’s Seat
The archmage Thakorsil and his allies created this
item to yoke the devil Orlex, who ruled the kingdom
of Yhalvia (part of ancient Narfell).
Thakorsil succeeded in seizing
Yhalvia from Orlex, but the
wizard became almost as
depraved as the devil
and was eventually
overthrown.
Through
unknown means,
the ancient Netherese lich Larloch
acquired the throne.
Without using the
Seat, he stored it in
his ancient hold in
the Troll Hills, Warlock’s Crypt. There it stayed for many years.
Then Szass Tam, in yet another of his gambits,
braved Larloch’s home and managed to meet the
ancient lich. Only they know what they discussed.
Tam soon returned to his homeland, accompanied by
odd hooded companions and carrying many items,
Thakorsil’s Seat among them.
Szass Tam returned to Thay and freed Eltab, a
demon lord imprisoned beneath Eltabbar in Thay.
The Thayan archmage tried to use the Seat and the
associated Ritual of Twin Burnings (page 59) to permanently enslave Eltab. A group of adventurers foiled
the plot, and the Seat was buried in the subsequent
destruction.
Tam later recovered the artifact. He keeps it still in
the Citadel on Thaymount.
58
Thakorsil’s Seat
Level 30
This massive throne of dark, veined stone is elaborately
carved. Each arm looks like the head and neck of a snarling
dragon, and each of its four feet is like a draconic claw
grasping a sphere.
Wondrous Item
Property: A creature seated in the throne is attacked each
round: +38 vs. Will; the target is restrained and dominated
until the end of its next turn. If a creature sits in Thakorsil’s
Seat willingly, the attack automatically hits. The creature
can take no action other than to stay seated, although
it can speak and think. While in the Seat, the creature
cannot be located by powers or rituals used by a caster of
lower than 30th level.
RITUALS
As described in the Player’s Handbook, rituals are
magical workings that produce useful and impressive effects. They also make great story devices in an
adventure or campaign setting. In Faerûn, rituals
have existed since the beginning of recorded time,
some so impressive that they could weave protections over entire nations. Rituals dedicated to gods
and other powerful beings provide benefits to their
devotees, and mighty archmages use them to weave
effects that can even transcend space and time. Villains use terrible rituals to bring about great evil—if
stalwart heroes don’t stop them.
CIRCLE MAGIC
Circle magic is most widespread in Faerûn’s eastern
reaches, among the Rashemi and Thayans, but it’s found
all over Toril among those who wield divine and arcane
power. Circle magic shapes daily attack powers into rituals useful for large, long-range effects on the battlefield.
War Spells: Circle members can perform a ritual to
cast a war spell (a collaborative version of a ranged or area
attack power). The performance of the ritual requires 1
minute per participant. Each participant must know the
attack power to be used and must expend that power on
completing the ritual. Increase the power’s range by 1
square, the radius of its area of effect (if any) by 1 square,
and damage dice by 1 for each participant.
Example: Six circle members, all wizards, get together
to produce a war spell version of the wizard power fireball.
They spend 6 minutes performing the ritual, after which
time the power of the fireball flares forth. The war spell
affects a burst 9 within 26 squares, counting from the
space of the wizard designated as the caster. The power
uses the Intelligence modifier of the caster for its attack
roll, and it deals damage equal to 9d6 + the caster’s Intelligence modifier to each target in the area that is hit by
the attack.
B E N WO OT T E N
Scepter of the Chosen Tyrant (+6)
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You present the symbol of membership in the Warlock
Knights. A dark glow tinged with violet surrounds the rings
of those who swear the oath with you.
Level: 10
Category: Binding
Time: 1 hour
Duration: Permanent until
the oath required by the
pact is fulfilled
Component Cost: 400 gp,
plus a Warlock Knight iron
ring as a focus
Market Price: 1,000 gp
Key Skill: Arcana (no check)
This brief ritual reinforces the bond between the Warlock
Knights of Vaasa (page 276). Willing participants swear
loyalty to one another or pledge to accomplish some task.
During the ritual, you hold forth your iron ring for
all to see and focus upon. Participants who swear the
oath required by the pact are bound by their word. Not
all participants in the ritual need swear the oath—it can
bind some and not others. You can secretly exclude any
participant, including yourself, even if he or she appears to
swear the oath. However, even someone who is coerced
or charmed into swearing the oath is still bound by it.
Those who forge such a pact are bound for all time.
Any who fail to uphold the bargain are cursed for the
rest of their days, considered pactbroken by their peers
(see “Pactbroken Curse,” below). The Remove Affliction
ritual ends the effects of the Pact of the Iron Ring, before
or after a creature breaks the pact. A ritual caster gains a
+2 bonus to Heal checks when lifting the curse from one
who was magically compelled to swear the pact.
SARRUKH SHAPING
The terrible sarrukh used ritual magic to create a large
number of reptilian creatures. (See the “Reptile Kingdoms” section of Chapter 7 for more about this serpentine
race.) Their vile rites can still shape creatures into other
forms, reptilian or not, bending both mind and body to
create a wholly new being. Yuan-ti use similar rituals, no
doubt learned long ago from the sarrukh, to permanently
mold their cultists and slaves into more pleasing ophidian shapes.
Pactbroken Curse
Ritual of Twin Burnings
Striking with the sacrificial knife, you intone words of dark
terror. The victim is utterly consumed, and a crystal pane
inscribed with a jagged rune appears.
Level: 26
Category: Binding
Time: 2 hours
Duration: Permanent
Component Cost: 50,000
gp, plus special
Market Price: —
Key Skill: Arcana (no check)
This complicated and deeply evil ritual must be performed a total of nine times to subjugate the will of a
creature held in Thakorsil’s Seat (page 58). Each performance has the following requirements.
It must be performed during a full moon within 20
feet of Thakorsil’s Seat.
It requires the sacrifice of a good-aligned creature of
at least paragon tier. That creature dies at the last second
of the performance, when its body and spirit are utterly
destroyed—hence “twin burnings.”
If the performance is successful, it creates a triangular
crystalline pane etched with a rune of chaos. The pane
appears near the Seat. Any damage destroys a pane,
but only missing panes must be replaced in further
performance.
If an individual performance is interrupted, it fails.
Panes already created remain, though, and the overarching ritual can continue from that point.
If nine performances are successfully completed, a
nine-sided crystal pyramid encloses Thakorsil’s Seat. The
occupant of the artifact can then physically leave the Seat
but is permanently and totally enslaved to the one who
completed the ritual.
Curse, level variable
This minuscule, wormlike parasite concludes its adult life in a
victim’s brain.
The target ! Initial Effect The target loses !"
is cured.
one healing surge that it
cannot regain until cured. Also
until cured, the target suffers a
penalty to all d20 rolls equal to
the number of healing surges
lost to this curse.
Resolving the effects of this curse uses the rules for
disease (DMG 49), but the afflicted creature makes a
Wisdom check rather than an Endurance check to determine if his or her condition improves or worsens. The
level of this curse is equal to the level of the ritual caster.
The curse has no final state and cannot be cured naturally; it continues to worsen until it kills its victim, and a
creature cannot be free of it without magic.
Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude
Wisdom improve DC 18 + one-half level, maintain DC 14 + onehalf level, worsen DC 13 + one-half level or lower
The target loses another healing
" The target loses another healing
surge that it cannot regain until
surge that it cannot regain until
cured. If this loss reduces the target
cured. If this loss reduces the
to zero healing surges, the target
target to zero healing surges, the
dies, disintegrating into dark iron
target dies, disintegrating into dark
dust with a faint violet sheen.
iron dust with a faint violet sheen.
CH A PTER 3 | Magic
RITUALS
Pact of the Iron Ring
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CHAPTER 4
Cosmology
4
Toril and
Abeir, held together in the natural
world, are situated amid other planes of existence.
Most theoreticians place the Astral Sea, domain of
the gods and resting place of their dominions, above
the world. A mixture of energy and elements exists
below in the Elemental Chaos; at its bottom, the
Abyss roils with demonic malice. Alongside the world
are its reflections: the mystical Feywild, a place of
boisterous life and magic, and the gloomy Shadowfell,
a dim realm of decay and apathy.
The Spellplague began, for all intents and
purposes, in the dominions of the gods. Cyric
murdered Mystra, unraveling magic in the cosmos
and destroying her dominion. At the same time,
Abeir and Toril happened into alignment. This
cataclysmic coincidence led to upheaval, shaking
apart the primeval order, opening up holes in
defenses, and reshaping elements. When it was over,
a realignment of power had brought forth a new
order—the cosmos as it exists today.
In many ways, the planes are easier to explore
than they were before. Although many otherworldly
locales are hostile and no place for any sensible
mortal, few places have features that kill a visitor
outright. Those who have the power can travel the
dimensions to whatever end they desire.
This chapter is a gazetteer of the cosmos,
describing realms outside Toril. Both heroes and
villains can explore beyond the world and involve
themselves with mighty otherworldly beings.
✦ The Astral Sea: The home of the gods, this plane
is a realm of pure thought and creativity. This
section describes the major dominions and their
inhabitants.
✦ The Elemental Chaos: The primordials dwell
in this roiling storm of raw creation. This section
offers a brief tour of major primordial realms.
✦ The Shadowfell: A dreary echo of the world, this
is the land of lost souls and of creatures that haunt
the darkness.
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ERIC DESCHAMPS
✦ The Feywild: The world’s bright reflection, this
plane is home to noble fey and to terrible monsters.
CH A PTER 4 | Cosmology
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THE ASTRAL SEA
The province of mind and spirit, the Astral Sea is
where pure imagination can become real. This great
silvery void contains the dominions of the gods.
Travel
Traveling to the Astral Sea requires only the proper
ritual, or passage through pathways found in the
world, the Feywild, and especially the Shadowfell.
Traveling in the Astral Sea is as easy as flying. Mortal
creatures that have the ability to travel the planes
can journey to, traverse, and even inhabit the Sea’s
dominions. Some dominions are inhospitable, however, and few deities take kindly to the intrusion of
mortals who come uninvited.
Dominions
Once arranged like a tree, the divine dominions
have begun drifting in the Astral Sea since the Spellplague. During the Spellplague, old dominions fell,
were merged, or disappeared entirely, and new ones
arose. Each dominion is a vast but finite space, home
of one or more gods who use their divine power to
maintain its structure.
Traits: Dominions have traits dictated by the
powerful entities who inhabit them. A dominion
might have an alignment, derived primarily from the
greater god that controls it and secondarily from the
other divinities that share the place. Dominions can
also have connections to various locales within the
cosmos—other dominions, other planes, or realms in
the Elemental Chaos. These links are forged by agreements among deities and other entities.
Each dominion is controlled by a greater god, but
other gods often share it, though they don’t necessarily work with the primary divinity. Lesser divine
beings called exarchs also inhabit each dominion and
serve one or more of the gods.
Arvandor
Arvandor is a place of natural beauty and magic
even greater than that of the Feywild. The deities
that share Arvandor claim separate areas, but few
acknowledge precise borders. All agree that Arvandor centers on Corellon’s palace, Crescent Grove,
where he lives with his queen, Angharradh.
Scattered throughout Arvandor are seven vast
and rolling hills covered with beautiful golden grass.
The Seven Golden Hills are primarily gnome realms,
though the gnome divinities live and wander where
they wish.
Alignment: Good.
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Connections: Deep Wilds, the Feywild, Gates of
the Moon, Sky Home.
Primary Residents: Corellon (greater god) and
his exarchs Deep Sashelas, Erevan, Fenmarel, Labelas, Shevarash, and Solonor; Angharradh (goddess);
Garl Glittergold (god) and his exarchs Baervan, Baravar, and Callarduran.
Banehold
From his Black Bastion, Bane rules supreme in this
dominion, his consort Loviatar at his side. Under an
oppressive sky lit by baleful green light, Banehold is
divided into fiefs held by the Black Lord’s divine vassals. These lands are bleak and plagued by constant
strife.
An outlying desolation still holds ruined citadels
and blasted landscapes of rock, obsidian, sand, and
pitted iron. Over this hangs a red sky broken by black
stormclouds. These areas serve as warnings to those
beings that Bane subjugated during the Spellplague.
In these outlands, Bane’s servant Tiamat lurks and
plots in the various lairs that Bane allowed her to
build.
Alignment: Evil.
Connections: None.
Primary Residents: Bane (greater god) and his
exarchs Abbathor, Fzoul Chembryl, Hoar, Hruggek,
and Maglubiyet; Loviatar (goddess); Tiamat (goddess).
Celestia
An enormous mountain ringed by three smaller
peaks floats through the Astral Sea. The summit
emits silver light, illuminating all. Wondrous life
is abundant, and pure water flows freely. Near the
mountain’s top is a ringing city, known as the True
Court, where Torm rules from a palace called the
High Seat.
On one of Celestia’s lesser peaks is Ilmater’s
domain, Martyrdom. An idyllic place where none can
suffer, Martyrdom centers on an open-air temple with
rows of white pillars. At the heart of this sanctuary is
a plinth of white stone into which the longsword Justicar is plunged. Inscribed on the stone are a stylized
scale and the words “Justice endures.”
Alignment: Lawful good.
Connections: Dwarfhome, Eternal Sun.
Primary Residents: Torm (greater god); Ilmater
(god); Bahamut (god).
Cynosure
As a neutral meeting ground for the gods, Cynosure is
usually closed and uninhabited. It is a stately meeting
chamber full of high pillars, decorated with portraits
of divinities living and dead, and open to the starfilled expanse of the Astral Sea. Travel to Cynosure
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The Deep Wilds
Silvanus’s dominion is a vast expanse of untamed
wilderness. It contains every imaginable kind of
earthly terrain, including a dark and foreboding
ocean. Within, no solid building spoils the wildness
of the place, though the inhabitants clothe themselves
and use tools appropriate to their sensibilities. Auril’s
Winter Hall, built only of wind and ice, moves slowly
across the dominion, bringing winter where it goes.
Alignment: Unaligned.
Connections: Arvandor, the Dismal Caverns, the
Elemental Chaos, Eternal Sun, the Feywild, Gates of
the Moon.
Primary Residents: Silvanus (greater god) and
his exarch Malar; Auril (goddess); Mielikki (goddess)
and her exarch Shiallia; Umberlee (goddess).
Connections: Celestia, Root Hold (in the Elemental Chaos).
Primary Residents: Moradin (greater god) and
his exarchs Clangeddin, Dugmaren, Marthammor,
Thard, and Vergadain; Berronar (goddess).
Eternal Sun
The Palace of the Four Suns is a luminous citadel,
located amid the shining, thriving lands and seas of
Eternal Sun. Here dwells Amaunator, Keeper of the
Golden Sun. Surrounding the golden city’s central
castle is Waukeen’s Marketplace Eternal, where business and the laws of trade take precedence.
Connections: Celestia, the Deep Wilds.
Primary Residents: Amaunator (greater god)
and his exarch Siamorphe; Waukeen (goddess).
The Fugue Plane
Lolth and the foul entities that serve her call the
Demonweb Pits home. At the center of this immense
darkness of woven planar matter, the Demon Queen
of Spiders sits within an iron fortress shaped like a
vast arachnid.
Alignment: Chaotic evil.
Connection: The Abyss (in the Elemental Chaos).
Primary Resident: Lolth (greater goddess).
The Crystal Spire, a tower of glittering transparent rock, watches over the City of Judgment, a gray
metropolis of the dead, in the otherwise flat and
featureless Fugue Plane. From the Crystal Spire,
Kelemvor and his seneschal, Jergal, judge the dead.
Connections: Shadowfell; the Fugue Plane has
connections to all other dominions as well, but the
use of such links is limited to those collecting and
transporting the dead to the afterlife.
Primary Residents: Kelemvor (greater god) and
his exarch Jergal.
The Dismal Caverns
Gates of the Moon
This great subterranean maze of natural caverns is
illuminated only by phosphorescent fungi and flows
of lava. The Dismal Caverns is the dominion of the
mysterious deity called Ghaunadaur. Other powerful entities share the desolate gloom, and foul and
fiendish creatures abound, but any that wish to survive either serve or avoid the master of the Dismal
Caverns.
Connections: The Abyss (in the Elemental Chaos), the Deep Wilds, Root Hold (in the
Elemental Chaos).
Primary Resident: Ghaunadaur (greater god).
Rocky islands float on and above a silvery sea. The
moon waxes and wanes, often as visible during the
bright sunlight hours as it is at night. Natural beauty
fills each island, along with elegant buildings that
range from quaint cottages to elegant manors.
Gates of the Moon is a place of beauty and joy, centered on Selûne’s shining hall, Argentil. Surrounding
Argentil’s island is Sune’s romantic city, Brightwater.
The Great Wheel—seven earthmotes connected by
lofty bridges—is Tymora’s realm.
Alignment: Good.
Connections: The mysterious Infinite Staircase
in Argentil has portals to cities in every part of the
cosmos. Most of these are one-way passages. Selûne
also maintains openings to Arvandor, the Deep
Wilds, the Feywild, and the Green Fields.
Primary Residents: Selûne (greater goddess);
Sune (greater goddess) and her exarchs Lliira and
Sharess; Tymora (goddess).
The Demonweb Pits
Dwarfhome
Moradin’s wondrous kingdom glorifies the ideals
of craft, labor, and wealth. Its surface is a stretch of
beautiful crags that teem with life. Upon and underneath these mountains, the dwarven deities live and
work. At the heart of it all is the great hall of Moradin
and his wife Berronar, called Erackinor, where rests
Moradin’s Soul Forge.
T H E A S T R A L S EA
can be accomplished only by divine beings by means
of dedicated portals in their dominions.
Connections: Cynosure connects to every other
dominion, but the portal can be opened only by, or
with the permission of, the appropriate deity.
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Green Fields
An idyllic realm of verdant hills, great rolling plains,
and lush river valleys, the Green Fields is a place of
well-being and rest. Within it is the wondrous Mother’s Garden of Chauntea, where food-bearing plants
grow wild and in great abundance. Itinerant as their
likenesses in the world, the halfling divinities move
from place to place, living for a time in one location
before moving on to explore the marvelous and everchanging landscape.
Alignment: Good.
Connection: Gates of the Moon.
Primary Residents: Chauntea (greater goddess);
Sheela (goddess) and her exarchs Arvoreen, Brandobaris, and Cyrrollalee.
House of Knowledge
The House of Knowledge is an ancient and tamed
wood of towering oaks and clear, fresh lakes and
springs. It is a place full of music, stories, and secrets.
The Library of All Knowledge is a series of buildings throughout the dominion, within which all the
secrets of the universe are said to lie. The divine
residents of this dominion share the buildings,
though Gond prefers a part of the library known as
Wonderhome.
Connections: None.
Primary Residents: Oghma (greater god) and his
exarch Milil; Gond (god).
The Nine Hells
Ruled by the god-killer Asmodeus from Malsheem,
the Citadel of Hell, this vast dominion is the realm of
DEMIPLANES
Within the Astral Sea, a strong will focused on a particular idea can carve out and hold a small space apart from
other dominions. This realm can be as big as the power
used to create it allows, but it is always limited and
smaller than the dominion of a deity. Most demiplanes
form as the result of deliberate creation, but a few simply
exist as folds or pockets in the planar arrangement.
A demiplane has any trait its creator sets. It might have
no gravity, an inhospitable environment, or a landscape
that can be molded at a thought, and it might combine
several traits. Most demiplanes exist for a purpose, however, and their form follows their function.
Similarly, a demiplane is usually tied to a specific
place on another plane or dominion. The demiplane’s
use determines its location and access points. How the
demiplane is used can affect how it changes and what
happens there.
Many demiplanes already exist, created by magic and
later abandoned.
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devils. Eight other archfiends rule an equal number
of territories as vassals of Asmodeus.
A waterway called the River of Blood, or River
Styx, flows in the Nine Hells. It washes through the
Hells and into the Astral Sea, polluting the surrounding area with fiendish corruption.
Alignment: Evil.
Connections: None.
Primary Residents: Asmodeus (greater god)
and the archdevils Baalzebul, Bel, Belial, Dispater,
Glasya, Levistus, Mammon, and Mephistopheles.
Nishrek
Nishrek is a natural setting warped to orc ideals and
ravaged by eternal war, a dark reflection of Warrior’s
Rest. Black seas and dark rivers punctuate tangled
forests, jagged badlands, and burning deserts.
Gruumsh, attended by Baghtru and Obould,
watches over his dominion from the Iron Fortress.
His mate, Luthic, lives in the caverns beneath the
citadel. Shargaas and Vaprak lurk in dark holds elsewhere within Nishrek.
Connection: The Abyss (in the Elemental Chaos).
Primary Residents: Gruumsh (greater god) and
his exarchs Bahgtru, Obould, Shargaas, and Vaprak;
Luthic (goddess)
The Supreme Throne
Wind howls through the blasted landscape of the
Supreme Throne. The only standing structure is the
Shattered Castle, a crumbling stronghold that was
once Cyric’s seat of power. It now serves as his prison,
THE FAR REALM
Outside the known cosmos is a realm where the laws
of the reality that most beings recognize have no hold.
Few aside from scholars even know that this maddening
dimension exists. The learned can only speculate what the
Far Realm truly is and what it contains. By most accounts,
this alien place lies beyond matter, spirit, and sanity.
Where the Far Realm touches the world, its insanity
seeps in. This influence can be as simple as regular nightmares afflicting the residents of a town, or as involved
as a significant warping of the environment and its
inhabitants. Strange creatures sometimes emerge from
such a tainted landscape, usually fading from existence
as the barrier between reality and the Far Realm again
strengthens.
Bizarre creatures such as mind flayers, aboleths, destrachans, and foulspawn are all progeny of the Far Realm’s
mixing with other realities. They seek to turn the world to
something more in accord with their utterly alien mindset.
The greater god Ghaunadaur is the mightiest of all entities
that are thought to be touched by the Far Realm.
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Towers of Night
This benighted dominion is vaster than any other in
the Astral Sea. It is a dark wasteland full of craggy
reaches and deserts of black sand. Sinister seas and
rivers, as well as terrifying forests and bogs, dot the
landscape.
Forbidding citadels rise in the starless dark here.
The largest of these is the Palace of Loss, Shar’s circular abode, resting in the dominion’s highest peak.
Within the Slithering Jungle, the principal forest
in the dominion, Sseth’s City of Serpents rises, centered on a black pyramid. Far away, deep in the most
treacherous disease-ridden swamp of the dominion, another black pyramid squats—Talona’s Plague
Palace. Not far from Talona’s palace, the interloper
Zehir occupies a many-tunneled escarpment protruding from the Sea of Poison.
Alignment: Evil.
Connection: The Shadowfell.
Primary Residents: Shar (greater goddess); Sseth
(god); Talona (goddess); Zehir (god).
Warrior’s Rest
FR ANCIS TSAI
Tempus’s dominion, Warrior’s Rest is a rocky, arid
landscape that changes unpredictably and recovers
quickly from the wars that rage across it. Most of it is
relatively flat, with towering mesas suddenly rising
out of the plains. Here, war is a sport played by those
who cannot die.
Tempus wanders Warrior’s Rest, moving among
the countless halls where victorious factions are welcome to revel as long as they can hold the grounds.
Tempus can sometimes be found within the single
granite tower on Blood Tor, where his lover Beshaba
dwells. He also visits the Red Knight, whom he treats
as a daughter, in her Red Tower. Tempus’s other
exarchs maintain their own realms.
Primary Residents: Tempus (greater god) and
his exarchs Garagos, the Red Knight, Uthgar, and
Valkur; Beshaba (goddess).
T H E A S T R A L S EA
and if the other deities have their way, it will do so for
centuries more.
Connection: No connections exist between other
planar locations and the Supreme Throne. Furthermore, this place is sealed against any comings and
goings.
Primary Resident: Cyric (greater god).
Lost Dominions
In the history of Toril, numerous deities have died
by various means. Others have changed allegiances
or suffered from the effects of the Spellplague. A few
disappeared into Abeir. Indeed, whole pantheons
have left Faerûn or have been destroyed.
When a dominion is abandoned or destroyed, it
largely fades from existence or breaks apart. However, remnants of it sometimes persist in the Astral
Sea. The same is true for the corpses of slain deities—
some remain intact, some leave signs behind, and
others simply disappear.
Other astral entities sometimes inhabit these fragments. It is possible to draw power from such astral
flotsam, so finding one can be tremendously beneficial. Of all astral entities, the githyanki are best at
accumulating such valuable assets.
The Afterlife
The souls of those who die travel through the
Shadowfell to the Fugue Plane. There they await
judgment. Some pass out of creation before any
ruling comes, others after. Where these souls go not
even the gods know. One that has strong faith and
capabilities might be taken to the dominion of its
deity, to serve him or her beyond life. Others remain
on the Fugue Plane as aides to the god of death. A few
cling to the Shadowfell or to the world, continuing on
as ghosts or other insubstantial undead.
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THE ELEMENTAL CHAOS
Mingling and clashing types of energy, firmament
and earth, fire and water—all make up the reality of
the Elemental Chaos. Shaped of disparate elemental
dimensions that were once native to Toril, together
with a plane that once existed as a cosmological relative of Abeir, the Chaos is where the elements frolic
and fight without the overarching control of morality
or reason. One element might even act like another—
earth swirling like water or floating like air, or fire
falling like rain. Specific locales within the Chaos
might seem normal or pleasant by worldly standards,
but otherworldly displays and threats are commonplace. The only constant is change.
Travel
Getting to the Elemental Chaos usually requires a
ritual. Still, places where the Chaos touches the world
are numerous, and through these a creature might
pass from one realm to the other. The lands of the
Chaos can be harsh, desolate, or both, but traveling
upon them is otherwise as easy as traversing a similar
worldly landscape.
Realms
Much of the Elemental Chaos is dangerous wilderness, full of wondrous sights and unpredictable
inhabitants. Great primordial beings of elemental
THE ABYSS
At the bottom of the Elemental Chaos seethes the Abyss,
a hideously corrupt reflection of the pure entropy that
caps it. Black chasms connect the Abyss to the rest of the
Chaos, and these places threaten both body and mind of
any who dare to approach.
The Abyss teems with demons that answer to no
authority except that wielded through might and fear.
The strong bully the weaker. The most powerful demons
lord over whole realms.
The features and realms within the Abyss are uncountable. They move and change with no explanation. Only
a demon lord can maintain a region in accord with its
warped standards, carving a meaningless empire out of
the pervading ruin. Twisting through the insanity of the
plane is the roiling River Styx, its waters poison and its
course inconstant.
Connections: The Demonweb Pits, the Dismal Caverns, Nishrek (all in the Astral Sea).
Primary Residents: Demon lords such as Baphomet,
Dagon, Demogorgon, Graz’zt, Kostchtchie, Orcus, and
Yeenoghu.
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nature lord over realms within the Chaos. As the deities maintain their dominions in the Astral Sea, so do
primordials keep their realms here.
Traits: A mighty enough creature can organize
the Elemental Chaos to its liking, imposing an order
of sorts in a limited area. A great fire being covers
its realm in fire, while a creature of frost makes ice
dominant. In such realms, the entropy of the Elemental Chaos is quelled by the shaping will. A realm can
have an alignment matching that of its primordial
master.
Realms here can have connections like those of
dominions in the Astral Sea. The Elemental Chaos
has strong ties to the world and to the astral dominion known as the Deep Wilds. Individual elemental
realms connect to dominions where ties remain
strong between primordials that were once thought to
be gods and those that still are.
Cresting Spires
Water surges upward here, constantly refreshing
its substance from a larger body below. This steady
motion creates a structure made literally of flowing
water. Istishia allows his home to flow across the
waters of the Elemental Chaos.
Connections: None.
Primary Resident: Istishia (primordial).
Root Hold
Vast subterranean halls make up Grumbar’s Root
Hold. Tunnels connect some areas; others are accessible only to those who can pass through stone. All the
riches that the earth offers are found in Root Hold in
raw form, alongside all the dangers.
Connections: The Dismal Caverns, Dwarfhome
(both in the Astral Sea).
Primary Resident: Grumbar (primordial).
Sky Home
Sky Home is a broad realm of rolling clouds and
breezes, dark storms and roaring winds. Air flows in
patterns coherent enough to hold weight and form
structures. Within are chambers where Akadi rests
from time to time. Usually, however, the Queen of the
Air is off roving the Chaos or some other plane.
Connection: Arvandor (in the Astral Sea).
Primary Resident: Akadi (primordial).
The Undying Pyre
Volcanic glass, smoke thick enough to walk on, and
searing flame make up the tower where Kossuth
dwells. The Undying Pyre moves at Kossuth’s will,
and an area known as the Burning Lands surrounds
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Titan Realms
STEVE ELLIS
The largest and most powerful titans have realms
within the Elemental Chaos. However, Skoraeus,
strongest among stone giants, instead wanders the
plane’s ever-changing mountainous regions.
Fimbulwinter: From his stronghold and grim
festhall, Nyfholl, Thrym rules a vast tundra lit by glittering icefalls.
Hidden Realm: All titans pay homage to the
mightiest among them—the mysterious Annam,
whose lonely Hidden Realm is nearly impossible to
find.
Muspelheim: Greatest within this fiery realm is
Surtr, who controls his volcanic land from a citadel
called the Iron Mountain.
Steading: In rolling terrain full of outsized creatures and plants stands the Steading, a wooden hall
where Grolantor bullies his lessers.
Thraotor: Floating in the skies within an eternal
storm is Thraotor, fortress of Memnor.
Other Realms
Many other creatures, great and small, call the Elemental Chaos home. Some of these have carved out
homes and kingdoms amid the maelstrom.
City of Brass: Efreets of the Elemental Chaos
divide many fiery realms among themselves, forming
a feudal hierarchy wherein lesser fire beings serve
them. Their chief holding is the City of Brass, an
ancient metropolis kept tolerable to various life forms
so planar travelers can gather and trade.
Djinn Motes: Clannish djinns congregate under
tribal leaders on chunks of earth floating high above
the Chaos’s roiling landscape. These beings of air
move their holdings to make war on efreets and titans
alike.
Githzerai Monasteries: The githzerai have settlements in the Elemental Chaos. Inside they hone their
bodies and minds to perfection.
T H E E L E M E N TA L C H AO S
it. Kossuth moves his realm constantly in order to
bring renewing fire to all reaches of the Elemental
Chaos. He pauses to treat with worthy fiery creatures,
such as the efreets of the City of Brass and Surtr of
Muspelheim.
Connections: None.
Resident: Kossuth (primordial).
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THE FEYWILD
The Feywild is a magical and mysterious echo of
the world. Called Faerie in ancient texts and Elven
works, the Feywild is home to countless fey, and the
origin of Toril’s elves and eladrin and their deities. Its
relationship to the world has waxed and waned over
the millennia. During bygone times, eladrin built
secret realms in Faerûn more closely connected to
the Feywild than was the case in the rest of the world.
Perhaps through these connections, the Spellplague
pulled the Feywild back into Toril’s proximity.
The Feywild is a twilight realm of stunning natural beauty and raw magic. Its landscapes are full of
splendor and danger foreign to the mortal world.
Many of its creatures have existed in the world for
ages, but not in so terrible and organized a form as
they do in the Feywild. Some correspondence exists
between worldly terrain and the fey lands. Although
not every feature of Toril has a twin in the Feywild,
many do.
Travel
The Feywild is easy to reach, since the barrier
between it and the world is often quite thin. The
world and the Feywild occasionally converge, allowing whole realms to exist in both planes or pass
between the two. In some places, a traveler doesn’t
need a ritual to cross and might even stumble into the
Feywild unawares. In other places, fey crossroads (see
page 53) allow access to those who know the proper
rites. The Feywild is so walled off from the world
in certain places, however, that powerful magic is
required to cross the boundary.
The Feywild is at once indescribably beautiful and
darkly perilous. Traveling there is like moving about
the world, but magic and fey creatures run riot on
this enchanted plane. The needs of creatures from
the world are seldom considered, and more than a
few fey are actively malicious.
Connections: Travel to astral dominions is possible through the Feywild. Arvandor, the Deep Wilds,
and Gates of the Moon all have direct connections
that allow easy access to places in the Feywild. The
reverse is also true, although planar crossings are
usually dangerous or well guarded.
Territories
Originally home to the elves and eladrin, the Feywild
is also the motherland of all fey. It includes the ruins
of destroyed and abandoned elven and eladrin territories. It also contains grand kingdoms of eladrin that
never came to Toril, as well as the sinister domains
of fomorian lords and their lackeys, the cyclopses.
Neither force can be relied upon to be good, as the
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word is conventionally used, but the fomorians are
certainly the more wicked. In between these major
forces, other fey kingdoms and holdings exist.
Fey dominate the Feywild, and their power
extends into worldly places such as the Forest of
Amtar (Dambrath), the Curna Mountains (Estagund), the Forest of Lethyr (Great Dale), Gulthandor
(Dragon Coast), the High Forest (Luruar), the Hordelands, Rashemen, the Yuirwood (Aglarond), and
other wild regions of Faerûn. Elven and eladrin holdings, such as Elfharrow, Evereska, the Moonshaes,
Shilmista (Tethyr), and the Wealdath (Tethyr), have
strong ties to the Feywild.
Mag Tureah
Hate festers within the Feywild’s subterranean lands,
which are known as the Feydark. In those dim depths
lies the Fortress of Mag Tureah, home of the great
fomorian king Bres.
Mag Tureah’s iron towers stand inside a realmsized cavern. Onyx dotted with glowing gems and
crystal makes up the cavern’s vault. It looks, for all
intents, like the world’s night sky, with the light
sometimes even waxing to a misty, illusory twilight.
Sculpted black stone adorns the great grotto, forming
curtains and pillars that seem to disappear into the
false sky.
Within, Mag Tureah is a maze of iron and stone
unlike other fomorian holds. It holds abundant portals to and from Toril, all of which open and collapse
unpredictably. More than one unlucky mortal has
stumbled from an ancient worldly ruin into Bres’s
realm, only to be enslaved by the fomorian’s servants.
Bres sits inside on an iron throne, plotting how to put
the fortress’s erratic gateways to wicked use.
Sildëyuir
Sildëyuir was once a demiplane connecting to Aglarond’s Yuirwood. The eladrin of Yuireshanyaar
(sometimes referred to as star elves) created it to
escape human incursions into their realm.
Sildëyuir is located at the same place in the
Feywild as the Yuirwood in the world. Because
the Yuirwood is rife with Spellplague, though, no
portal allows passage between the two. Even so, the
Sildëyuir fey risk opening ways into the Yuirwood
from time to time. Since the leaders of Myth Drannor learned of Sildëyuir, many of Faerûn’s fey have
departed for the settlements that make up this Feywild realm.
Under a twilight sky filled with stars, elegant
glass citadels rise above Sildëyuir’s wondrous silver
trees. Eladrin, elves, and their kin have settled here
sparsely. Despite recent influxes of population, the
holds of Sildëyuir are usually far apart. Its leaders
meet only rarely, and its untamed areas teem with fey
creatures.
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A gloomy echo of Toril, the Shadowfell is at once
ancient and new. The dark goddess Shar reshaped
what was then known as the Plane of Shadow during
the years of chaos following the Spellplague. In her
craft, she folded in the energy of death that didn’t
make the transition to the Elemental Chaos. She
renamed her creation the Shadowfell, which became
its common name among mortals, though some still
refer to it simply as “Shadow.”
The Shadowfell is a dim, eerie place. Where the
Feywild reflects the world in breathtaking ways, the
Shadowfell reveals a decaying, nightmare landscape
of dull colors. A brooding half-light replaces the Feywild’s fanciful twilight, and every feature of the place
seems macabre and threatening. Fields of necrotic
energy, usually too weak to do more than unnerve the
living, wander across the baleful shadowscape.
Travel
Crossing into the Shadowfell is harder than crossing to the Feywild. Merely stumbling into Shadow
is fairly uncommon. Still, places within the world
connect to the Shadowfell through a thin veil. These
portals are easy to spot and are common in the deep
Underdark, miles below the surface.
Native creatures stalk travelers here. So do the
restless dead, the souls of those who pass into Shadow
but refuse to move on. Humanoids of the Shadowfell
are at least as bad as fey. Worse still, creatures that
serve Shar, Sseth, Talona, and Orcus make their way
into the Shadowfell for various nefarious purposes.
True safety is hard to come by in these dark lands.
Connections: The Shadowfell connects to the
Fugue Plane and the Towers of Night. The dead
travel through the Shadowfell on their journey to
the afterlife, although some remain in the world or
the Shadowfell, afraid or unable to cross into the
hereafter.
Territories
Large parts of the Shadowfell are bleak and monsterhaunted reflections of the world. Such places are
rarely settled, except by ghosts, specters, and other
undead. Small communities of dark ones (humans
descended from the Netherese of old), shadar-kai, the
more social undead, or a mix of these types offer a
semblance of shelter. Any such place is only slightly
preferable to the Shadowfell’s wilds, however.
Death giants and nightwalkers, some of which
serve Shar, control parts of the Shadowfell. Devotees
of dark deities and demons set up shrines, temples,
and domains within Shadow. Necromancers situate
their labs in, or connected to, the Shadowfell to study
its part in undeath. Some powerful undead also live
within the Shadowfell, taking advantage of the shelter it provides from a hostile world. Those not native
to Shadow often maintain a means of passage back to
Toril.
Foundation of Loss
A deep, black well, like an inverted tower, marks the
place where Shar once lived. Her home now stands
in the astral dominion of the Towers of Night, but
the Mistress of the Night once all but ruled Shadow.
Foundation of Loss is a reminder of that truth and a
doorway to Shar’s new home. Palpable grief pervades
the area, as if the site mourns her departure.
Bleak tales suggest that only Shar’s faithful can
manage to visit the place and return. In fact, some
take it upon themselves to find the Foundation in an
unholy pilgrimage. Therefore, foul dangers and evil
beings devoted to darkness surround the location.
Unkindnesses of shadowravens emerge from the
deep to harry and hunt the unwary.
Some say that secrets of creation and unmaking
can be learned within the Foundation itself. Sorrowsworn birthed in the darkness guard those secrets,
challenging all who seek their destiny within the
hollow well.
Shadow Keep
Hidden within the bleak landscape of the Shadowfell is the abode of a god gone missing sometime
before or during the Spellplague. All but forgotten
now, the Master of All Thieves, Mask, kept a citadel
built totally of shadow. He used it as a hideout when
he tired of his wanderings and mischief among the
planes. Since Mask’s disappearance, his Chosen
sometimes occupy the keep.
Shadow Keep is barely visible in the gloom of the
Shadowfell, and before noticing it as more than a
deeper shadow, one can walk directly into its walls.
Those walls are nonetheless solid. Mask’s old lair
hasn’t crumbled despite the absence of its master.
Long ago, a portion of the keep was transformed
into the legendary Fane of Shadows, a temple that
travels worlds and planes serving the inscrutable
agendas of the various gods and goddesses of shadows, twilight, and darkness. It is said that Mask
manipulated the other deities so that he was able to
appoint the guardian of the Fane, a being of unknown
identity. Mask’s Shadow Keep is one of the anchor
points for the Fane. It returns from time to time,
materializing from the darkness and reattaching to
the keep.
The keep and the Fane no doubt hold vast treasures and artifacts Mask pilfered from the farthest
reaches of the cosmos. Both edifices also contain
other fearsome caretakers and traps set to ensnare or
kill the unwelcome.
T H E S H A D OW F E L L
THE SHADOWFELL
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CHAPTER 5
Pantheon
5
The world
of Toril is full of powerful beings
and their servants. Competing sects of the same deity
might fight deadly wars against each other, or could
come together to work mighty rituals.
The Faerûnian pantheon is dominated by the
greater gods, masters of their own domains and allied
with or served by ranks of other gods, exarchs (divine
beings of extraordinary power), and other extraplanar
servitors. Much like their mortal worshipers, the gods
seek and break alliances, fight, love, hate, and even
kill, absorb, or resurrect each other.
The gods take an active interest in the affairs
of Toril, exerting pressures both subtle and overt
primarily through the actions of their mortal servants.
Priests in thousands of different sects gain access
to divine magic in exchange for their investiture
in their church. They are the primary instruments
of a church’s mission in the world, and the only
manifestation of divine power that the average mortal
ever encounters.
✦ The Greater Gods: Eighteen greater gods control
dominions in the Astral Sea. Each entry gives a
god’s title and alignment, and summarizes his
or her area of interest (sphere). Holy days and
religious practices are also described.
✦ The Gods: A number of the greater gods share
their realms with deities only slightly less
powerful. This brief section presents an example of
a god, Umberlee.
✦ Exarchs: A summary of the role of these divine
servants of the gods.
✦ The Primordials: Five primordials lord over
realms in the Elemental Chaos. This section notes
them and their areas of influence.
✦ Archdevils: These powerful fiends are almost as
powerful as gods within their own levels of the
Nine Hells.
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GREATER GODS
The roles of the deities and the hierarchy they
inhabit have changed many times over the millennia. The only certainty is that they will change again.
The gods of Faerûn come in many forms and varying
degrees of power and influence, but certain restrictions apply to all. Eighteen greater gods compete for
the attention of worshipers.
Here you’ll find brief descriptions of the powerful
beings, both divine and primordial, who lord over the
cosmos. Noteworthy information is summarized in
tables at the end of the chapter.
Life and Death
Though deities are immortal, they can be killed, and
though they are eternal, they can be created. Over
the long history of the cosmos, many beings have
ascended to godhood, and just as many have fallen
away from the memory of mortals.
Other deities, such as Lolth, have undergone
extraordinary transformations, changing their own
nature, the nature of their home plane, and the fabric
of their worship.
Avatars
It’s exceedingly rare for gods to physically manifest.
Still, they can appear in the world as avatars and
thereby interact—often in disguise—with their mortal
followers.
A deity can take whatever form is desired. He or
she might appear as a human to humans, an elf to
elves, and so on, even taking on a completely separate
persona to worshipers of different races. Still, most
gods have favored personas that remain relatively
constant.
DIVINE SERVITORS
Priests are mortals who have dedicated their lives
to the service of a specific deity. They tend to share
an alignment with their god, but that isn’t required.
Priests sometimes adjust their devotion as they grow
more powerful. They worship an exarch at heroic
levels, a god at paragon levels, and a greater god at
epic levels. Others gravitate to a greater god, or serve
deities that have no exarchs at all.
Lay worshipers can swear fealty to a patron deity,
and some Faerûnians do so for selfish ends (merchants who worship Waukeen, for instance, or sages
who revere Oghma). Most common folk, however,
are more egalitarian in their faith. They invoke several different divine beings over the course of a day,
asking Tymora for luck, beseeching Auril for a break
in a blizzard, or seeking Sune’s favor with a matter of
the heart.
Amaunator
The Keeper of the Yellow Sun
Lawful Good Greater God
Amaunator is the reincarnated deity of the sun,
the timekeeper of the
gods. Though some
say he died, he actually transformed into
Lathander, and was
worshiped under that
name for centuries
before finally reclaiming both
his name and his mission. He
causes the sun to burn and sets its course across the
sky, giving rise to the celestial clock by which all time
is measured.
THE CHOSEN
A deity can touch a mortal worshiper with a sliver of
divine grace, creating a Chosen as an instrument in the
mortal world. The powers and missions of the Chosen
vary from god to god.
A Chosen might ascend to the rank of exarch, which
was the case for the likes of Clangeddin Silverbeard
and Obould. Some, such as Lolth’s Lady Penitent, Halisstra Melarn, are created for a particular purpose, then
discarded.
The post-Spellplague world includes no Chosen who
are not exarchs.
MIKE SCHLEY
In addition to the more powerful exarchs, gods and
greater gods are served by any number of extraplanar
creatures. Most priests never speak directly to their deities, but they might have frequent contact with a servant
of the divine hierarchy. Here are a few examples.
Angels: Most deities have angel servants. These semiautonomous beings are created by deities, have free will,
and can “fall from grace.”
Ghaunadans: These amorphous creatures of primeval ooze possess a wicked intelligence and serve
Ghaunadaur.
Yochlols: These demonic handmaidens of the greater
goddess Lolth are hideous creatures with razor-sharp
teeth whose flesh drips like wax.
Priests and Lay Worshipers
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Asmodeus
Supreme Master of the
Nine Hells
Evil Greater God
An ancient deity
turned archdevil, the Lord
of Nessus longed
for untold
millennia to
reclaim his
godhood. The
destruction of Dweomerheart sent the dying Azuth (a
patron deity of mages) into Asmodeus’s fiery domain.
The archdevil killed him and consumed his divine
essence. He then ended the Blood War by pushing
the Abyss to the bottom of the Elemental Chaos.
Asmodeus is the unquestioned master of the Nine
Hells, served by the eight archdevils, armies upon
armies of lesser devils, and an ever-growing cadre of
mortal worshipers.
Priests who serve Asmodeus, known as the
mordai, seek to pervert anyone who succumbs to
greed and impatience. His sect observes no holy days;
service is expected on a continuous basis.
Asmodeus can be a charismatic and generous
deity, quick to reward anyone who is willing to sign
away his soul. After death, the damned are enslaved
for eternity to their fiendish god’s dark designs.
L E E M OY E R , M I K E S C H L E Y ( 3)
Bane
The Black Lord
Evil Greater God
Thought to have been
destroyed forever during
the Time of Troubles,
Bane returned to life in
1372 DR and continued
his mission to dominate
every mortal soul on Toril.
The Black Lord of Banehold is the
embodiment of tyranny.
Bane’s lust for power doesn’t stop at the mystical
walls that separate the world from the heartless gray
hellscape of Banehold. Bane also seeks lordship over
other deities, and he has killed and absorbed the
essence and followers of numerous divine beings. He
has drawn others into his command, including the
goblin deities Maglubiyet and Hruggek and his consort, the twisted goddess Loviatar.
Banite priests are expected to strive constantly for
dominance over those around them. No holy days are
observed in Bane’s name, and the god scorns invocations that are not accompanied by proof of temporal
power over others. When a mortal swears fealty to
Bane, that service is absolute.
G R EAT E R G O D S
All who benefit from the accurate keeping of
clocks and calendars—such as farmers, merchants,
and nomads who follow the seasons—revere Amaunator. He is also favored by those mortals who respect
the law and find comfort in predictability.
Amaunatori are rigid and traditional in the worship of their deity, and little variety exists between
different sects. His priests, the sunlords, offer their
services as judges and administrators. Their most
solemn observances are reserved for the day of the
summer solstice.
Chauntea
The Great Mother
Lawful Good Greater
Goddess
Chauntea is among the
oldest of the deities, having
been present at the creation
of Abeir-Toril, infusing the
twin worlds with the essence
of life. She holds sway not so
much over the natural world,
but over the way in which sentient
mortals interact with the world.
The Great Mother is revered by any who depend
on the land for their livelihood. A kindly mistress, she
ensures healthy harvests to those who treat the tilled
earth with the respect she demands.
Chauntean priests pray to the Great Mother at
sunset. For her favor, she asks that her faithful spend
every effort preserving the natural cycle of growth
and harvest. The devoted are divided into two sects:
the pastorals, who minister to farmers and
villagers, and the true shapers, solitary
druids who find truth in the wild lands yet
to be tamed.
Corellon
First of the Seldarine
Good Greater God
Legends of the epic battles
between Corellon (sometimes
called Corellon Larethian) and
Gruumsh are the most repeated
in the history of Toril. During that
great struggle, the eladrin were born
of Corellon’s blood. He is the benevolent
ruler of Arvandor and the leader of the
Seldarine (“the fellowship of brothers and
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sisters of the wood”), god and exarchs who embody
the eladrin’s proud and ancient traditions.
Though he is a skilled warrior, it is his love of the
eladrin and their great works of magic and beauty
that inspires Corellon. That inspiration is returned to
his people a thousandfold.
Corellon’s feywardens are charged with protecting
the traditions and works of their race. They turn aside
political power, acting as advisors to the kings and
queens of the elven realms.
The holiest day for Corellites is Shieldmeet, but
every month they gather under the crescent moon
to observe Lateu’quor, the Forest Communion of the
Crescent Moon, praising their deity with a multitude
of beautiful works.
Cyric
Prince of Lies
Chaotic Evil Greater God
The mad god of strife and
lies, Cyric is chaos
incarnate. He is
reviled by his fellow
deities, who have time
and again intervened
to stop his destructive
flights of fancy. When he murdered
Mystra in the Year of Blue Fire (1385
DR), the entire plane of Dweomerheart exploded,
and the resulting Spellplague ravaged the cosmos.
Tyr, Lathander, and Sune united to imprison him in
his nightmarish playhouse of a plane, the Supreme
Throne, where he remains to this day, alone and
increasingly insane.
Cyricists, inspired by the lunatic clergy who call
themselves strifeleaders, spread chaos, destruction,
and insanity wherever they go. Few can understand
what vile disease of the mind could bring a mortal
to serve such a deity in the first place, but where his
AO
The Hidden One
Standing outside the divine hierarchy, and outside the
cosmos, is the mysterious Ao. Thought by some to be the
creator of the cosmos, his might is unimaginable. He is
the judge of the deities, and the one power whom even
the greater gods fear.
Ao exists beyond the concept of alignment or worship. He serves no one, and no one serves him. Instead
he watches all, sees all, and judges all.
No mortal worships Ao. Any sects that spring up, based
on fragmented legends and unreliable lore, disappear
quickly. No legitimate priests of Ao exist in Toril.
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worship takes hold, only misery follows. His wild
rantings are inscribed in The Cyrinishad, a tome of
ever-changing text that drives any who read it hopelessly mad.
Ghaunadaur
That Which Lurks
Ghaunadaur was once
worshiped by drow and
coexisted with Lolth
when the Abyss held the
Demonweb Pits. Not long
after the Spider Queen
transformed into a greater
god, she arranged for Ghaunadaur’s drow followers to forget him.
That Which Lurks, having watched the rest of
the drow deities die in their struggle against Lolth,
knew enough to slink away into the darkest corner
of the cosmos he could find. In the Dismal Caverns,
Ghaunadaur’s power grew. He has come to rule the
lowest forms of sentience: the oozes, slimes, and
abominations.
Ghaunadaur revels in the suffering of all forms of
life, and in the feel of flesh consumed by acid. He is
revered by incredibly ancient creatures, including the
terrifying abominations of the Abolethic Sovereignty.
His priests are unbound by holy days or scripture,
compelled only to destroy and consume in the name
of their hateful master.
Gruumsh
The One-Eyed God
Gruumsh’s influence has flourished in recent
decades with the growth of the orc population, and
as other humanoids have come under his sway. His
recent triumphs include putting the orc pantheon
and other minor deities of the savage races under his
thumb.
Though Gruumans maintain that their god was
born with one eye, the eladrin assert
that he lost an eye in combat with
Corellon. The two divine powers
have fought countless times, and
they remain the bitterest
of enemies.
Gruumsh is a god
of conquest, driving his
savage multitudes to
expand their power
by whatever brutal
means they wish. His
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Kelemvor
Lord of the Dead
Unaligned Greater God
Kelemvor presides over
the passage from life
to death with a firm
hand and a steady
grace. He is deeply
earnest in his role
as the Judge of the
Damned, having set
himself above the push and pull
of law and chaos, good and evil.
He takes each soul as it comes,
preaching only the natural inevitability of its transition from one
world to the next.
Because of Kelemvor’s deep respect for both life
and death, the undead enrage him. His priests are
tireless opponents of the necromantic arts. Families
who lose a loved one are comforted by Kelemvor’s
doomguides, who counsel the bereaved with a gentle
understanding and a simple philosophy that with
light there must be darkness, with day there must be
night, with life there must be death.
Shieldmeet and the Feast of the Moon are set aside
as days of remembrance, when doomguides seek the
counsel of the dead.
Lolth
M I K E S C H L E Y (6)
Queen of the Demonweb Pits
Chaotic Evil Greater Goddess
The Spider Queen sits alone in the
Demonweb Pits, presiding over the
drow and their manifold schemes
and betrayals. She revels in blood,
hungers for sacrifice, and toys
with worshipers and victims
alike. Hers is a cold cruelty born
of the blackest pits in the endless
Abyss.
Lolth exists on her home plane in the
form of seven monstrous spiders and one
beautiful drow maiden. She took these
forms when, through the force of her own
horrific will, she transformed into the greater goddess she is today.
Lolth appears to her worshipers from time to time,
but never because she is summoned. Lolth serves no
one, and she demands absolute fealty from all drow,
though only females can serve her as arachne. Males
are considered unclean, if occasionally necessary.
Still, if one turns his back on her, she takes vengeful
notice.
G R EAT E R G O D S
shamans advise chiefs and warmongers to raid, kill,
and conquer.
The last day of Marpenoth, which Gruumans call
Gharfek’taaz (“Feast of the Bloodied Stones”), commemorates Gruumsh’s ascendancy as the master of
Nishrek. On this day, new shamans are ordained in a
bloody orgy of torture and sacrifice.
Moradin
The Soul Forger
The All-Father forged the dwarf
people from gems and
precious metals in a furnace at the heart of the
world, and imbued them
with unflagging courage and
a tireless work ethic. He is the
undisputed King of Dwarfhome,
where he leads the Moradinsamman, a fiercely loyal cadre of gods and exarchs. His
faithful wife Berronar Truesilver is most often found
at his side.
Virtually incapable of compromise, stern and
unforgiving, Moradin is a tireless champion of dwarven values, unafraid even in the face of other deities.
More than once the Moradinsamman have marched
across the cosmos at the command of their king.
Priests of Moradin are drawn from the finest
dwarven clans. They inspire their comrades to stand
firm against insurmountable odds. Their ability
to invoke a battle frenzy in their fellow dwarves is
renowned.
Different clans develop their own traditions and
days of holy obligation. When dwarves take to their
“holy water” (what a human would call a very good
pint of beer), drunken arguments over who’s more
in their deity’s favor invariably lead to a little goodnatured brawling.
Oghma
The Binder of What Is Known
The deity of knowledge is the judge of ideas and
innovations, deciding what will be passed down and
what will be forgotten. This is a responsibility that
Oghma takes seriously, despite his outwardly carefree
demeanor.
Oghma thrives on ideas. He cannot abide the stifling of an original thought, no matter what might
come of it, good or ill. It is for him to decide if a
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concept is carried forward
from its originator, and he
is protective of that power.
When Oghma’s Chosen,
Grand Patriarch Cullen Kordamant, disappeared more than
120 years ago, his faith was split
between two major factions—
Procampur’s Orthodox Church
of Oghma and the Oghmanyte
Church in Exile, formerly of
Sembia but now Cormyrian.
Orthodox priests are known as
lorekeepers; the Oghmanytes call themselves namers.
Both maintain expansive libraries and greedily
pursue written texts and oral histories from across
Toril.
Selûne
The Moonmaiden
Good Greater Goddess
Together with her sister
Shar, Selûne created
Abeir-Toril from the
cosmic ether and
assisted Chauntea as she
blessed the twin worlds
with life. She has infused her
spirit into the moon and forever
looks down on the world she helped create.
Selûne’s influence on Toril is felt in the ebb and
flow of the tides and in the comforting silver glow of
a moonlit night. She brings light to darkness, holding
back the tide of evil embodied by her shadowy sister.
Mostly female, the Selûnite priests known as silverstars administer to their flocks with patience and
compassion, letting all know that “anywhere the full
moon shines is the place for Selûne.”
Silverstars are particularly interested in combating the dark side of lycanthropy. They wander Toril in
search of werecreatures, hoping to aid them in maintaining or regaining control, or destroying those who
have allowed their humanity to be overwhelmed by
their affliction.
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Shar
Mistress of the Night
Evil Greater Goddess
As old as the cosmos, Shar is
one of the twin deities who
created the world, bringing
order out of Ao’s primordial
chaos. The balance to her sister’s
loving grace, Shar resides in the
deepest shadows, nurturing the secret hatreds, the
unnatural desires, and the lust for revenge that reside
in the black corners of the mortal heart.
Her worshipers wield great power over other
mortals and have worked their way into the highest
governing ranks of countless realms. In the Empire of
Netheril, allegiance to Shar, and Shar alone, carries
the weight of law.
Her nightcloaks form their own cells from what
scraps of secret lore they can find. Temples of Shar
practice devotion to her in wildly varying ways.
Often the presence of a temple is revealed only to a
small inner circle of lay initiates who are tasked with
spreading Shar’s whispered dogma in their own way.
Silvanus
The Forest Father
The protector of the wild places, Silvanus is often
seen as the deity of angry and vengeful druids who
value the life of a tree over the life of a person. In fact,
Silvanus teaches his followers to value all life. Still,
his influence can be properly interpreted either as
a wholesome respect for the natural world, or as a
threat to the livelihood of expanding civilizations.
Druids of Silvanus say their prayers
at sundown and set aside the days of
Greengrass, Midsummer, and Highharvestide for meditation and
communion with their deity and
his affiliated powers. Seemingly
at whim, Silvanus brings the
natural world to sentient life,
with streams finding their own
courses and trees uprooting to
walk around. This event, known
as the Night the Forest Walks,
can be localized or global in
effect, entirely dependent on the
unknowable desires of the Treefather.
Silvanus teaches his druids to watch
from the protection of the woods, not to judge too
quickly, and to preserve the balance of life and death,
growth and decay.
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The Lady of Love
Good Greater Goddess
The deity of love takes
many forms, including
that of Hanali Celanil, long worshiped
as a goddess by the
eladrin. She is the
mistress of all that is
beautiful and thrives on
the most tender of emotions. Many deities, from
Amaunator to Torm, have
become smitten with the goddess of love, but she
remains aloof (though flirtatious), reserving her love
for the mortals who revere her name.
The worship of Sune is prevalent in cities and
among the aristocracy, where people have the time to
give proper attention to values such as romantic love
and the preservation of beauty.
Numbering eight females for every male, Sune’s
heartwarders are among the most beautiful humans,
eladrin, and half-elves on Toril. Their informal hierarchy is loosely controlled by the most charismatic
of the local priests. Her temples are monuments to
the architectural arts, and her followers are asked to
demonstrate love through an unselfish act every day.
Tempus
MIKE SCHLEY (7)
The Foehammer
The Lord of Warrior’s Rest favors
both sides in any conflict with
equal measure as long as
both are sworn to victory. He
is the patron of warriors of
all stripes—from the lowliest
man-at-arms to the mightiest
commander. For Tempus, war
is a force of nature that must be
respected for its power to remake
civilizations.
Hardly a soldier on the face of Toril
fails to lift his or her voice in prayer to
Tempus on the eve of battle. Given the war-ravaged
history of the world, Tempus has gained extraordinary power from such constant and fervent prayer.
His battleguards counsel generals on the rules of
engagement and inspire courage in combatants by
blessing their weapons in the name of Tempus. The
Tempuran faith is scattered throughout the world,
wherever arms are taken up, and his priests come
from all walks of life, from the soldiery of the civilized nations to the savage tribes of the frozen North.
Torm
The Loyal Fury
Torm became the master of Celestia
after the heroic self-sacrifice of
the legendary Tyr (who perished
decades ago when defending the
upper realms against an overwhelming demonic incursion).
He now shines as the beacon
of pure law in the cosmos, and
stands as the most civilized
and civilizing force in the
pantheon. Truth, loyalty, and a
steadfast devotion to a righteous
cause are his gifts to his mortal
followers, and he is an inspiration to many of his fellow
deities as well.
The Tormish church includes the greatest number
of paladins of any religious organization in the world,
and his priests, known as holy champions, are accomplished warriors, ready to defend the principles of law
and order.
His temples take the form of mighty citadels, their
imposing architecture a symbol of Torm’s earnest
stability in the face of chaos. From these edifices,
Tormish priests and paladins are sent out into the
world to root out corruption in any form, often imposing their own sets of laws and procedures on nations
they feel are too open to lawlessness.
The faithful celebrate two important holy days.
The Divine Death (13 Marpenoth) commemorates
the day when Torm and Bane destroyed each other
during the Time of Troubles; the True Resurrection
two days later honors Torm’s return to life, while
Bane (at least temporarily) still lay dead.
G R EAT E R G O D S
Sune
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THE GODS
Most of the greater gods are served by one or more
less powerful gods that share their basic principles
and inhabit their home planes. Gods have mortal
worshipers of their own, often with rich and complex faiths as varied as those of the greater gods.
Many lay worshipers, in fact, are unaware of the
distinction.
Nineteen gods are worshiped in Faerûn, spread
across all alignments and holding mastery over a
wide range of spheres. Gods usually act independently of the greater god of their planes, though
some deities, such as Bane, hold sway over all the
divine inhabitants of their realms.
Umberlee is an example of such a god. She dwells
in the Deep Wilds of Silvanus, along with Auril and
Mielikki.
Umberlee
The Bitch Queen
Chaotic Evil Goddess of the Deep Wilds
The Queen of the Deeps is a harsh mistress, largely
uncaring of her mortal worshipers’ pleas for mercy
when one of her storms whips the seas of Toril into a
killing frenzy. Still, hardly a soul steps aboard a ship
who doesn’t whisper at least a cursory appeal to her
in the hope that her random mercies fall their way.
Her waveservants rely on the scattered alms of
terrified sailors for a minimal living, preaching the
majesty of the uncaring ocean and the inherent
p
y
hopelessness
of anyone
who dares set to sea.
EXARCHS
Exarchs are often referred to as demigods. Many are
ascended mortal servants of greater gods, brought
up from the world to serve as agents of their divine
masters. Some attract worshipers of their own, but
they are more often simply conduits that serve to
connect the mortal world with the attention of the
higher deities.
Exarchs are incapable of forming planes of their
own. They occasionally maintain smaller pocket
universes or independent fiefdoms on their home
planes.
Marthammor Duin is an example of an
exarch. He serves Moradin, along with four other
exarchs and the goddess Berronar, in the halls of
Dwarfhome.
78
Marthammor Duin
The Finder of Trails
Good Exarch of Dwarf home
The volamtar, priests of Marthammor Duin, are the
most commonly encountered dwarf clergy in the civilized surface realms of the North. Dwarves who leave
the safety of their clanholds to explore the wider
p y to Marthammor for safety.
y
world pray
THE
TH
HE
E PRIMORDIALS
ORD A S
The Elemental Chaos provides essential building
blocks for all matter in the cosmos, the primordial
seed of all that is. The gods fear this wild plane of
unimaginable extremes, and they respect the primordials that call it home.
The few primordials that remained in Toril when
Abeir split away never fought the gods as their fellows
did. These primordials are sometimes worshiped as
deities despite their elemental origin.
The Elemental Lords
Five primordials rule realms within the Elemental
Chaos. All but the chaotic evil Bazim-Gorag are
unaligned.
Akadi: The Queen of the Air is the mistress of
flying creatures and all that takes to the thin air. Her
airwalkers teach that wisdom can be found only in
THE PANDEMONIUM STONE
The Pandemonium Stone isn’t a permanent feature of
the Elemental Chaos. This rough spire of various materials, ever-changing and immense, features carvings that
come alive with elemental forces, undulate, then die
down again. The massive stone manifests at random in
place and time.
When it appears, the spire calls to the slaads, and they
gather to bathe in its energy. The greatest of them, including Bazim-Gorag the Firebringer, eventually come to the
Pandemonium Stone if the pinnacle stays long enough
in one place. Tracing the movements of the stone, if possible, is likely the easiest way to find and attack the great
slaad.
Stories differ as to what the stone is. Some suggest that
it is a sleeping and immensely powerful slaad lord. Others
speculate that it’s a batrachi artifact, and that studying it
could prove decisively whether slaads descend from that
amphibious progenitor race.
Connections: None.
Primary Resident: Bazim-Gorag (primordial).
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ARCHDEVILS
Devil Worship
Pockets of misguided people have occasionally fallen
into the worship of one or more archdevils. Lured
by grandiose promises, those who worship devils
soon come to realize that the ceremonies and rituals
associated with devil worship are among the most
despicable acts one could ever imagine committing.
Thus, such cults are not common, but where they do
exist, the inner circle of devil worshipers willingly
exchange the eventual fate of their souls for immediate power.
The worship of Asmodeus is also considered devil
worship, and mordai priests conduct many foul
rites in his name. However, because the Lord of the
Ninth is a true god, his worshipers are not necessarily required to conduct vile rituals to channel divine
power. Not so for those who have fallen into worship
of one of the lesser lords of hell.
The number of devil-worshiping cells is not specifically known; however, one of the most liberal
assessments of that number comes from Elturgard.
The High Justiciar of Torm believes that each of the
Nine Lords supports at least one secret cell of celebrants, one perhaps as close as Cormyr.
However, the only confirmed cell lies in High
Imaskar, somewhere within the cityspire of Skyclave.
There, a self-proclaimed child of Mephistopheles has
risen to the notice of the Empress, who has assigned
more than one vengeance-taker to remove this presumed pretender. To date, all have failed either to
find the location of the cell or, if they did, to return
with that knowledge.
A R C H D EV I L S
trial and error, a foundation for faith as thin as the air
that their mistress embodies.
Bazim-Gorag: The Lord of the Pandemonium
Stone (see the sidebar) is an ascended batrachi dedicated to pure chaos. He is chance incarnate, invoked
by the powerless, the gamblers, and anyone who has
lost hope in anything but an impossible twist of fate.
Grumbar: The Lord of the Earth is a being of
stone and dirt, the foundation upon which all else is
built. The earth makes no choices—it simply is. His
earthwalkers resist change in any form.
Istishia: The Lord of Water is the embodiment of
the constantly mutable nature of water. Not interested
in Umberlee’s storms or Valkur’s sailors, he is an aloof
and uncaring being.
Kossuth: The firewalkers who revere the Lord
of Fire espouse the cleansing properties of flame
and its role in the renewal of life. Kossuth is most
often appealed to by lay folk as they watch their
homes burn to the ground. They find him entirely
uninterested.
Seven Lost Gods: This term has been used to
describe different groups of powerful entities at different times, sowing confusion even among learned
sages. Some of these so-called “lost gods” might have
been primordials. One group of beings that could fit
this designation includes Dendar the Night Serpent,
Kezef the Chaos Hound, and Borem of the Boiling
Mud.
The most powerful forces for pure evil in the cosmos
are the combined hosts of the Nine Hells. They
became the greatest single threat to the forces of good
when the most ancient of them, Asmodeus, ascended
to greater godhood.
Each archdevil commands a circle of the Nine
Hells. A multitude of fiends serve the archdevils without question in their endless plotting and conquest.
Mephistopheles might be the most powerful of them.
Mephistopheles
Lord of the Eighth
Evil Archdevil of the Nine Hells
The Duke of Cania embodies the casually cunning
evil of the Nine Hells. From a labyrinthine citadel
on the frozen hellscape of the Eighth Circle, Mephistopheles reaches out to the world, fomenting sin,
and even siring children in the pursuit of his own
unspeakable ends.
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PANTHEONS OF THE WORLD
The following tables summarize the main facts about
the various powerful beings described in this chapter.
A deity’s sphere of influence can be a physical
process or object such as the sun or fire, or a concept such as luck or courage. It might be a philosophy
such as law or chaos, a vocation such as thievery or
mining, a skill such as archery or hunting, or a race
such as drow or orcs. However a deity’s sphere is
articulated by mortals, the true agendas of the gods
are rarely known in any detail by the beings who
serve them.
GREATER GODS
Name
Amaunator
Asmodeus
Bane
Chauntea
Corellon
Cyric
Ghaunadaur
Gruumsh
Kelemvor
Lolth
Moradin
Oghma
Selûne
Shar
Silvanus
Sune
Tempus
Torm
Alignment
Lawful good
Evil
Evil
Lawful good
Good
Chaotic evil
Chaotic evil
Chaotic evil
Unaligned
Chaotic evil
Lawful good
Unaligned
Good
Evil
Unaligned
Good
Unaligned
Lawful good
Gender
male
male
male
female
male
male
male
male
male
female
male
male
female
female
male
female
male
male
Sphere
Sun
Sin
Tyranny
Life
Fey
Strife
Abominations
Savagery
Death
Drow
Dwarves
Knowledge
Moon
Shadows
Nature
Beauty
War
Law
Dominion
Eternal Sun
Nine Hells
Banehold
Green Fields
Arvandor
Supreme Throne
Dismal Caverns
Nishrek
Fugue Plane
Demonweb Pits
Dwarfhome
House of Knowledge
Gates of the Moon
Towers of Night
Deep Wilds
Gates of the Moon
Warrior’s Rest
Celestia
Priests
sunlords
mordai
dreadmasters
druids
feywardens
strifeleaders
amorphites
shamans
doomguides
arachne
sonnlinor
lorekeepers/namers
silverstars
nightcloaks
druids
heartwarders
battleguards
holy champions
Adjective
Amaunatori
Asmodean
Banite
Chauntean
Corellite
Cyricist
Ghaunadauran
Gruuman
Kelemvorite
Lolthite
Moradite
Oghmanyte
Selûnite
Sharran
Silvanites
Sunite
Tempuran
Tormish
Alignment
Good
Chaotic evil
Good
Lawful good
Evil
Good
Unaligned
Good
Evil
Chaotic evil
Good
Good
Evil
Chaotic evil
Evil
Good
Chaotic evil
Unaligned
Evil
Gender
female
female
male
female
female
male
male
male
female
female
female
female
male
female
female
female
female
female
male
Sphere
Wisdom
Winter
Justice
Family
Bad luck
Protection
Craft
Suffering
Pain
Caves
Forests
Beauty
Serpents
Plague
Greed
Good luck
Sea
Merchants
Poison
Dominion
Arvandor
Deep Wilds
Celestia
Dwarfhome
Warrior’s Rest
Arvandor
House of Knowledge
Celestia
Banehold
Nishrek
Deep Wilds
Green Fields
Towers of Night
Towers of Night
Banehold
Gates of the Moon
Deep Wilds
Eternal Sun
Towers of Night
Priests
circle singers
icepriestesses
Justiciars
faernor
doommasters
Glitterbrights
Gondsmen
painbearers
pains
shamans
druids
greenfosters
mazewalkers
malagents
wyrmkeepers
luckbringers
waveservants
goldeyes
Venomer
Adjective
Angharradhan
Aurilian
Bahamutan
Berronan
Beshaban
Garlian
Gondar
Ilmatari
Loviatan
Luthican
Mielikkian
Sheelite
Ssethssar
Talonite
Tiamatan
Tymoran
Umberlant
Waukeenar
Zehiric
GODS
Name
Angharradh
Auril
Bahamut
Berronar Truesilver
Beshaba
Garl Glittergold
Gond
Ilmater
Loviatar
Luthic
Mielikki
Sheela Peryroyl
Sseth
Talona
Tiamat
Tymora
Umberlee
Waukeen
Zehir
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Name
Akadi
Bazim-Gorag
Grumbar
Istishia
Kossuth
Alignment
Unaligned
Chaotic evil
Unaligned
Unaligned
Unaligned
Gender
female
male
male
male
male
Sphere
Air
Chaos
Earth
Water
Fire
Realm
Sky Home
Pandemonium Stone
Root Hold
Cresting Spires
Undying Pyre
Priests
airwalkers
lords of change
earthwalkers
waterwalkers
firewalkers
Adjective
Akadian
Bazimite
Grumbarryn
Istishian
Kossuthan
Alignment
Evil
Lawful good
Good
Chaotic evil
Good
Unaligned
Unaligned
Lawful good
Good
Good
Good
Unaligned
Unaligned
Evil
Chaotic evil
Evil
Evil
Unaligned
Good
Good
Evil
Evil
Good
Good
Chaotic evil
Lawful good
Good
Chaotic evil
Unaligned
Good
Lawful good
Good
Good
Unaligned
Good
Chaotic evil
Unaligned
Gender
male
male
male
male
male
male
male
male
female
male
male
male
male
male
male
male
male
male
male
female
male
male
male
male
male
female
female
male
male
female
female
male
male
male
male
male
male
Sphere
Greed
Vigilance
Travel
Brute strength
Illusions
Thievery
Mining
Battle
Friendship
Oceans
Scholarship
Mischief
Outcasts
Service to evil
War
Revenge
Ambush
Fatalism
Longevity
Joy
Goblins
Beasts
Explorers
Song
Warriors
Tactics
Cats
Night
Vengeance
Fertility
Nobility
Archery
Hunting
Wildlands
Sailors
Frenzy
Wealth
Dominion
Banehold
Green Fields
Arvandor
Nishrek
Arvandor
Green Fields
Arvandor
Dwarfhome
Green Fields
Arvandor
Dwarfhome
Arvandor
Arvandor
Banehold
Warrior’s Rest
Banehold
Banehold
Fugue Plane
Arvandor
Gates of the Moon
Banehold
Deep Wilds
Dwarfhome
House of Knowledge
Nishrek
Warrior’s Rest
Gates of the Moon
Nishrek
Arvandor
Deep Wilds
Eternal Sun
Arvandor
Dwarfhome
Warrior’s Rest
Warrior’s Rest
Nishrek
Dwarfhome
Priests
aetharnor
—
—
—
—
misadventurers
earthbloods
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
bloodreavers
doombringers
shamans
doomscribes
—
joydancers
shamans
talons
volamtar
sorlyn
—
holy strategists
sensates
—
dhaeraowathila
woodwives
highborns
—
—
shamans
wavetamers
shamans
—
Adjective
Abbathoran
Arvoreenan
Baervanian
Bahgtrun
Baravarian
Brandobarian
Callardurian
Clangeddite
Cyrrollaleen
Sashelan
Dugmarenite
Erevanian
Fenmaren
Chembryn
Garagathan
Hoarite
Hruggekan
Jergali
Labelasan
Lliiran
Maglubiyan
Malarite
Marthammoran
Mililan
Obouldan
Red Knightist
Sharessan
Shargaasan
Shevarashan
Shiallian
Siamorphan
Solonoran
Thardite
Uthgardt
Valkuryte
Vapran
Vergadainan
EXARCHS
Name
Abbathor
Arvoreen
Baervan Wildwanderer
Bahgtru
Baravar Cloakshadow
Brandobaris
Callarduran Smoothhands
Clangeddin Silverbeard
Cyrrollalee
Deep Sashelas
Dugmaren Brightmantle
Erevan Ilesere
Fenmarel Mestarine
Fzoul Chembryl
Garagos
Hoar
Hruggek
Jergal
Labelas Enoreth
Lliira
Maglubiyet
Malar
Marthammor Duin
Milil
Obould
The Red Knight
Sharess
Shargaas
Shevarash
Shiallia
Siamorphe
Solonor Thelandira
Thard Harr
Uthgar
Valkur
Vaprak
Vergadain
PA N T H EO N S O F T H E WO R L D
PRIMORDIALS
ARCHDEVILS OF THE NINE HELLS
Name
Bel
Dispater
Mammon
Belial
Levistus
Glasya
Baalzebul
Mephistopheles
Alignment
Evil
Evil
Evil
Evil
Evil
Evil
Evil
Evil
Gender Territory
male
First Circle
male
Second Circle
male
Third Circle
male
Fourth Circle
male
Fifth Circle
female Sixth Circle
male
Seventh Circle
male
Eighth Circle
Priests
cultists
cultists
cultists
cultists
cultists
cultists
cultists
cultists
Adjective
Bellic
Dispatian
Mammonian
Bellian
Levistan
Glasyan
Baalzebaan
Mephistophelean
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CHAPTER 6
Faerûn and Beyond
6
High mountain
ranges plunge to misted
forests dotted with ruined castles and older, crumbled civilizations long forgotten. City-states, vast
kingdoms, theocracies, magocracies, and regions
ruled by undead seek to expand their influence.
Towering mountains and oceans of grassland, blasted
deserts and lush forests, islands in the sky and lands
that swirl and change as if water—Toril is a world of
extremes, in climate, in terrain, and in people.
The fantastic alterations of the last century are
mere history for most creatures that draw breath in
the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting. Few humans now
recall the Year of Blue Fire (1385 DR), unless they
have magically cheated old age, or were changed in
the wake of the unfettered wild power that infected
flesh, matter, and magic equally. Even the deities had
their casualties.
When the Spellplague raged, whole countries were
wiped away, especially in Faerûnian regions south
of the Sea of Fallen Stars. Other lands were barely
affected, at least in comparison. Yet even the most
unchanged locations saw the appearance of motes of
untethered landscape freely floating in the sky.
Toril has thousands of stories to tell. It contains
countless locations suitable for a one-shot adventure,
a long-running campaign, or an epic story.
Adventurers can choose from among the world’s
many kingdoms, cities, ruins, lairs, and wild places
to try their strengths and face their fears. The roads
over which characters trek might be under sun, or
beneath the earth, or might lead to entirely new
realms. Wherever the characters dare, soul-shivering
danger, undying glory, fabulous rewards, and exciting
adventure beckon.
This chapter identifies significant regions,
countries, and city-states of Toril, describing them in
a fashion suited for both Dungeon Masters and myth
makers. Important settlements, current events, ruins,
dungeons, items, plots, and people are highlighted
throughout the text. Not simply a geographical
catalog, this chapter is a vibrant gazetteer of fantastic
imagery and story.
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OVERVIEW
The world of the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting is Toril.
This Earth-sized planet is dominated by oceans surrounding a handful of continents, the largest of which
stretches more than 8,500 miles east to west.
Faerûn
When the eladrin first stepped upon its verdant
soil, they called the world Faerûn, an old Elven term
meaning “One Land.” Today, Faerûn describes only
the westernmost portion of an immense landmass;
Kara-Tur lies to the east. Faerûn is the cradle of the
world. It is bounded on the west by the Trackless Sea,
on the south by the Great Sea, on the east by the wide
expanses of the Hordelands, and on the north by the
ice of the uttermost arctic.
The North
The extent of the North is debated, but most agree it
includes the entire wilderness south from the Spine
of the World through the High Forest, and east from
the Evermoors through to the Icerim Mountains.
An endless, unbreakable wall of frigid, snowcapped peaks in the Spine of the World holds the
Kingdom of Many-Arrows, an orc realm ruled by a
succession of peaceable kings uncommon for their
kind. Tucked beyond the Wall is tiny Icewind Dale.
The more civilized of this “Savage Frontier” have
come together in coalition to form Luruar, a confederation of city-states also known as the League of the
Silver Marches. The dour dwarves in their fortified
citadels left the League long ago, unwilling to break
their age-old enmity with the orcs.
Sword Coast
Commerce along the Trade Way and other caravan
routes binds the city-states of the Sword Coast. The
coast itself is treacherous, featuring undersea reefs,
rocky outcroppings, and a soft, mucky bottom that
extends for miles in many areas. True ports are few
and far between, a fact that makes the sheltered
bay at the foot of Mount Waterdeep so precious. Its
natural harbor has permitted Waterdeep, the City
of Splendors, to grow into one of the shining jewels
of the Sword Coast. Port cities north of Waterdeep
didn’t fare well in the years after the Spellplague;
both Neverwinter and Luskan are now in utter ruin.
Baldur’s Gate, on the other hand, survived the last
century relatively unscathed and has swelled to
become the most populous city in Faerûn. Candlekeep remains a bastion of learning, though the crag it
rests upon now stands at least 100 feet off the coast.
84
Trackless Sea
Many small kingdoms dot the restless sea off the
western shores of the Sword Coast. The northern
islands—among them Icepeak, Tuern, and Gundarlun—are little more than rugged peaks buffeted by
swirling winds and cold currents brought south and
west from the Sea of Moving Ice. At the heart of the
Sea of Swords lie the Moonshaes, a large cluster of
rocky islands cloaked in mists and covered in deep
woods. Mastery of the Trackless Sea has long been
the domain of proud seafaring peoples of Ruathym,
though the reavers of the Nelanther Isles challenge
that claim at present. The fey isle of Evermeet still
lies more than a thousand miles west of the Sword
Coast—but now the world has lost contact with this
refuge, which has been relocated to the Feywild.
Western Heartlands
South of Luruar, the land and the people grow less
wild. The Western Heartlands thrive on a gently
rolling agricultural area centering on the Chionthar
River, fortified by the gleaming bulwark of Elturgard
and its righteous paladin defenders. The nearby City
of Thousand Spires has so far resisted attempts to join
the neighboring theocracy. Northeast of Elturgard,
sandwiched between mighty Netheril and sinister
Najara, dwells the mist-shrouded city of Evereska.
Protected by its ancient mythal and staunch
defenders, this eladrin city stands as a deterrent to
expansion by the Netheril Empire. The most serious
threat to the region stems from the serpent kingdom
of Najara encompassing the eastern reaches of the
High Moor, the Serpent Hills, the Forest of Wyrms,
the Marsh of Chelimber, and the river valleys that
meander through the area.
Eastern Heartlands
The human nations of the Heartlands share a
common language, and their cultural heritage and
social order are similar. Over the last century Cormyr
has reluctantly grown into an imperial power annexing cities along the Dragon Coast, as well as fortifying
its holdings throughout the Stonelands and Tilver’s
Gap. Sembia, now a vassal state of the Netheril
Empire, has become more aggressive, swallowing
up a few dales along its borders. The remaining
Dalelands have since united under strong leadership
in Mistledale and the welcome protection of Myth
Drannor. Westgate proved too large and powerful to
be drawn into the orbit of either Cormyr or Sembia
and remains self-governing. The once independent
city-states of the Vast have united to form the nation
of Vesperin. All free communities of the Eastern
Heartlands remain vigilant, wary of the imposing
presence of Netheril.
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The Empire of Netheril, long covered by the Great
Desert of Anauroch, has been partially restored to
the green steppes and verdant forests of its ancient
past. Local Bedine tribes have been largely integrated
into Netherese society, though a group of separatists known as the Sand Kings have been opposing
the Shadovar at every opportunity. Netheril has
also brought Sembia under its control as a vassal
state, patrolled by the floating enclave Sakkors. It
attempted the same in the Moonsea, but the Zhentarim fought back, forcing the Shadovar into more
destructive acts of conquest.
Pelvuria, the Great Glacier. Only nomadic tribes of
humans and dwarves, who hunt reindeer and fish
the frigid rivers and lakes of the region, survive in
this harsh land. The glacier has been slowly receding
over the last century, and its melting has uncovered
passages to the monster-infested Frostfell at the top
of the world. The only civilization of any note in the
area is the remote arctic realm of Sossal, sandwiched
between Pelvuria and the Great Ice Sea.
The Unapproachable East
The Moonsea, in reality a deep freshwater lake, is the
centerpiece of a land of harsh climate and hardened
folk. The region includes many city-states ruled by
tyrants. Its northern steppes are dominated by roving
tribes. The western reaches are dotted with monsterinfested ruins—the burned-out hulks of Zhentil Keep
and other strongholds of the former Black Network.
The Church of Bane is still strong in the region, its
power base moved to the dark eastern metropolis of
Mulmaster. The Great Gray Land of Thar remains a
desolate breeding ground for orcs, ogres, and minotaurs. The brutish humanoids provide a buffer for
the civilized lands against the growing predations of
neighboring Vaasa.
Beyond the Easting Reach lie the exotic lands folk in
the Heartlands call the Unapproachable East. Today,
this region is dominated by the dark and forbidding
land of Thay and its endless undead armies. A pall
of smoke and ash smothers the land, sometimes
extending into neighboring territories. On Thay’s
periphery lie the rugged lands of Aglarond, Rashemen, and Thesk. Aglarond is a land of open water
and deep woods peopled predominately by half-elves.
Feral warriors name the rolling hills and sparse pine
forests of Rashemen home. Ruled by the Iron Lord
and the mysterious Wychlaran, this land of witches
and berserkers has confidently defended its borders
for centuries. Thesk, the Gateway to the East, is the
starting point of the fabled Golden Way trade road to
far-off Shou Lung on the continent of Kara-Tur. This
land of tolerant folk is home to large numbers of civilized orcs, Tuigan settlers, and Shou refugees.
The Demonlands
Empires of the Alamber Sea
Moonsea Lands
This region consists of isolated territories of tough
folk, hardened by decades of conflict with demonic
beasts and fell magic. It includes Impiltur, Damara,
Vaasa, Narfell, and the Great Dale. The region saw
a glimmer of hope when King Gareth Dragonsbane
united Damara and Vaasa into the unified kingdom
of Bloodstone, and when young King Imbrar II of
Impiltur dissolved the council of paladins (the Lords
of Imphras II) and began ruling unfettered by the
dynastic machinations of the past. This prosperity
was not to last. The assassination of Dragonsbane’s
heir twenty years ago led to civil war throughout
Bloodstone, allowing the patient Warlock Knights
to seize control of windswept Vaasa. King Imbrar’s
death and the retreat of the Inner Sea in the Year of
Blue Fire ended Impiltur’s hopes. The kingdom is
now firmly in the grip of the Fraternity of Tharos, a
fanatical cult of demon-worshipers. Demons freely
menace the Dunwood and terrorize the villages of
the Great Dale and frigid Narfell.
Auril’s Teeth
The inhospitable wintry land of Auril’s Teeth features
mile after mile of windswept tundra incapable of
supporting agriculture. At its center lies indomitable
On the Alamber’s eastern shore rises the Empire of
High Imaskar, ruling over the region once known
as Mulhorand, which was wiped clean during the
Spellplague. High Imaskar enjoys a trade alliance
with Tymanther, a realm of dragonborn that occupies
the former lands of Unther. The people of Tymanther are militaristic, toughened by generations of
fighting dragons. Mount Thulbane in the north is
THE HEAVENS ABOVE TORIL
One satellite and seven other planets are visible in the
firmament, known as the Sea of Night, that surrounds
the planet of Toril.
A lone moon named Selûne orbits Toril every 30
days; eclipses happen frequently. Following the moon in
its path across the Sea of Night is a collection of shining
shards, called the Tears of Selûne.
In addition to the moon, seven visible planets wander
the star-misted Sea of Night. They are dusky Anadia,
green Coliar, blue Karpri and Chandos, ringed Glyth,
odd-shaped Garden, and disk-shaped H’Catha. All follow
regular orbits around the sun. The stars are distant and
eternal, forming patterns and constellations that each
culture names according to its own desires.
C H A P T E R 6 | Fa e r ûn an d Be yo n d
OV E RV I E W
Netheril
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an active volcano, sending billowing smoke into the
air and blanketing dragon-ruled Threskel under an
ashen sky. The Black Ash Plains, south of the Smoking Mountains, are home to a tribe of stone giants.
South of High Imaskar, the ancient realm of Okoth
has been restored at Azulduth. It is ruled by the sarrukh, an ancient race of serpent people and one of
the legendary iqua Tel’Quessir (creator races). Okoth
continues to rebuild, slowly and secretly, unwilling to
draw the attention of more established realms.
Sea of Fallen Stars
The Inner Sea was once four separate bodies of water
until the batrachi realm of Kolophoon was devastated
nearly 33,000 years ago. Scholars generally hold
that a chunk of Toril’s second moon struck Faerûn at
that time. Today the Sea of Fallen Stars has dropped
almost 50 feet from its pre-Spellplague level. The
Abolethic Sovereignty, ruled by aboleths and their
aberrant servitors from its floating city Xxiphu, is
greatly feared throughout the region. Other monsters
known as the Unfettered swim the waters and soar
the skies of the Sea of Fallen Stars. The undersea
depths of Serôs are controlled in the west by fey from
Myth Nantar and in the east by the sahuagin realm of
Aleaxtis. The Pirate Isles host buccaneers, cutthroats,
and the like, though pirate attacks have been significantly reduced in the last century.
NONPLAYER CHARACTERS
The pages of this book are filled with nonplayer characters—potential allies, patrons, rivals, villains, and extras
that can help to bring the world of the Forgotten Realms
to life in your campaign. If you’re familiar with past incarnations of the FORGOTTEN REALMS setting, you might be
surprised not to see any game statistics for many of these
characters. If you end up wanting to use these characters
in combat situations, creating their game statistics is up
to you. Bear in mind these three principles:
It’s your world. You can change or invent the game
statistics for any character in this book.
It’s your game. Design challenges that are appropriate to the level of your characters. If you want to use the
shade assassin Belendithas (see page 106) as a threat in
your game, he might be 8th level or 28th level, depending on the level of your characters. Of course, if you want
him to be significantly tougher than your characters, you
can set his level above theirs and keep him as an off-stage
threat until they’re ready to fight him.
Use the resources you have. The Monster Manual provides many statistics you can use as a starting point for
nonplayer characters, and future Monster Manual volumes
will offer more options. Also, articles on D&D Insider will
expand many of the characters mentioned only in passing
in this book, providing full combat statistics you can use
or adapt for your game.
86
Vilhon Wilds
The lands of the Vilhon Reach were affected greatly
by the merging of Abeir with Toril. The waters of
the Reach were partially drained, revealing several ruined Cities of the Sword from the ancient
Jhaamdath psiocracy. The once welcoming and cosmopolitan folk of Turmish have grown increasingly
xenophobic. Akanûl, formerly the lands of Chondath,
is now populated by genasi from the Abeiran land of
Shyr. This region barely survived its first contact with
the Abolethic Sovereignty roughly fifty years ago.
Since the Year of Blue Fire, civilization has been slow
to return to the wilder Spellplague-morphed regions.
In the nearby Plaguewrought Land, the surreal landscape features thousands of earthmotes, swaths of
moving rock, and great ravines that lead directly to
the Underdark.
Erlkazar and the Lake of Steam
South of the Vilhon Wilds and north of the Lake of
Steam, a temperate climate and good cropland engender stability and burgeoning populations. The Baronies
of Erlkazar are seemingly peaceful and idyllic. When
night falls, however, the vampire thralls of the Night
Barony terrorize the region. Arnaden, the Lake of
Steam, is a shallow, enclosed bay of the Shining Sea,
its stinking, warm yellow waters a testament to volcanic activity. The desertification of the Lake’s southern
shores has transformed the Border Kingdoms into a
lawless frontier of outlaws and would-be rulers.
Lands of Intrigue
South of the Western Heartlands and west of
Erlkazar are the so-called Lands of Intrigue: Amn,
Muranndin, Tethyr, and the duchy of Velen. The
entire region is suited to agriculture, though the
ruling merchant houses of Amn have chosen to focus
on trade and colonization, organizing mercenary
companies to strong-arm and intimidate its neighbors. Tethyr’s feudal monarchy, the Rhindaun line,
governs from its capital in Darromar. Between these
two human nations lie the fey-ruled Wealdath and
the monstrous kingdom of Muranndin. Cut off by
Muranndin, remote Velen seceded from Tethyr in the
Year of Thundering Hosts (1423 DR).
Calimshan (Skyfire Emirates)
Home to genasi and their human slaves, Calimshan is
engaged in a civil war for control of the harsh desert
of the Skyfire Wastes. A second Era of Skyfire once
again pitted the forces of Calim and Memnon against
each other. As during previous battles between these
ancient foes, fell magic was employed that drained
the life from the landscape. The sands of the Calim
Desert spread east during the decades-long conflict,
consuming the once-fertile Schamedar Plains and
6/18/08 8:06:26 AM
Savage Coast
Chult is a craggy jungle plateau rimmed by large volcanic mountains and filled with savage beasts, hulking
behemoths, and disease-ridden swamps. To the east,
the lands previously known as Samarach, Thindol,
Tashalar, and Lapaliiya are now wholly or partially
drowned. The yuan-ti kingdom of Serpentes fell too
when the waters of the Great Sea joined violently with
those of the Shining Sea. Today the few scattered miles
of dry land poking above the ocean are known as the
Mhair Archipelago.
The Scarred South
Once called the Shining South, the lands east of the
Savage Coast have suffered cataclysmic changes since
the days of the Spellplague. Formerly an immense
savannah, the Shaar became a vast dustbowl when
the formation of the Underchasm cut off all fresh
water flowing to the area. South of the Shaar Desolation, scattered tribes of xenophobic elves hunt down
and kill any intruders who attempt to cross this semiarid region that outsiders name Elfharrow. Once a
great magocracy, Halruaa today is wholly unrecognizable. Neither land nor population escaped the natural
and magical disasters that struck the nation. Dambrathan clans rose up against their half-drow masters
in the decades following the Spellplague and have
since embraced lycanthropy. The formerly peaceful
and tranquil halfling shire of Luiren now rests at the
bottom of an immense gulf opening into the Great
Sea. The few hin who survived the deluge fled to previously landlocked Delzimmer.
The Beastlands
The Beastlands derive their name primarily from
the monster-infested remains of the lost kingdom
of Veldorn. Still, most northerners lump Durpar,
Estagund, and Ulgarth under the same appellation.
Even the more civilized lands of the region are filled
with bizarre sights unheard of in the north, such as
Durpari replacing their natural limbs with magically
animate crystal. The birdlike kenkus have become
prominent in the region’s larger settlements.
Murghôm
Boxed in between the necrotic nation of Thay and
the sandy badlands of Raurin, the ancient nations of
Murghôm and Semphâr are under the dominion of
the dragon princes. For the most part benevolent, the
dragons receive monthly tribute from their subjects
in exchange for protection. In recent decades, spies
from High Imaskar have begun to infiltrate the area,
seeking to unearth ancient artifacts from the ruins
that dot the perimeter of Brightstar Lake. Many
dragon princes are aware of, and fully support, these
incursions, expecting to relieve the Imaskari of their
ill-gotten gains once discovered.
The Hordelands
The steppes north of Murghôm are blasted in winter
by storms from the Great Ice Sea, and baked in
summer by searing winds from the Quoya Desert.
This inhospitable mixture of extremes discourages
all but the hardiest peoples from settling in a land
others view as the Endless Waste. The horse warriors
known as the Tuigan, descendants of the ancient
empires of Imaskar and Raumathar, have long lived a
nomadic existence on the rolling tundra and steppes
of the region. Today, the environs in and around the
Lake of Mists are home to all manner of elemental
beasts. The lands for miles around are scattered with
low mounds topped by standing stones. On the far
eastern border of the Hordelands, past the enormous
Quoya Desert, lie the ruins of the Dragonwall. The
spirit of the dragon that once inhabited this structure
was released from its millennia-long imprisonment
during the chaos of the Spellplague.
Returned Abeir
A realm once forgotten is forgotten no more. When
the Weave unraveled and the Spellplague collapsed
the walls of reality, the antediluvian world of Abeir
crashed through to Toril. The two long-separated siblings were joined anew, but only imperfectly. Portions
of Abeir fell across Toril, overlaying some lands and
obliterating others. In Faerûn, the realms of Akanûl
and Tymanther are Abeiran seeds that germinated
nations. The greatest portion of the returning world,
however, replaced Maztica, the continent west of
Faerûn. Now, a savage land breathes beneath a steely
sky across the Trackless Sea: Returned Abeir. Here,
ancient primordials sleep while their rapacious
dragon mounts of old rule vast empires. It is from
Abeir that dragonborn and genasi hail, steeped in
lore previously unknown in Faerûn.
Underdark
The Underdark is a network of tunnels, caverns, seas,
and rivers that spans the entire world. Lightless, but
far from lifeless, the Underdark is home to a dizzying
array of creatures, from the civilized but unforgiving
drow to carnivorous monsters that haunt the darkness.
In these depths, drow rule mighty cities, the queen of
which is the metropolis of Menzoberranzan. But their
rule is far from absolute. In dark tunnels, mind flayers
conspire, and aboleths slide on mucus trails.
OV E RV I E W
the fetid Spider Swamp (present-day Plain of Stone
Spiders). Even the beautiful city of Suldolphor now
lies in sand-blasted ruin along Talagath’s Gauntlet.
Almraiven is the lone human bastion in this war-torn
land of efreets, djinns, and their genasi servitors.
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AGLAROND
A land of open water and deep woods, Aglarond is
a nation of humans, elves, and half-elves on a broad
peninsula thrust into the Sea of Fallen Stars. Elves
and humans have intermingled in Aglarond for
centuries—few natives can claim a pure bloodline
one way or the other. No other region in Faerûn has a
higher half-elf population.
Aglarond Lore
A character knows the following information with a
successful skill check.
History DC 15: Thay has literally risen as a land
of shadowed death. Exiled zulkirs, former wizardrulers, have appeared in the already Thay-influenced
Wizard’s Reach. As a result, Aglarond has been
forced to recognize that Thay’s presence (expatriate
or not) isn’t going to fade anytime soon. The chronic
irritant of Thay galled Aglarond’s newly formed
Simbarch Council beyond reason. The nation raised
armies and took the fight to the exiled zulkirs. The
war was long and fierce, and Aglarond suffered
much. Having defeated the Aglarondan advance, the
zulkirs-in-exile returned to Thay to proclaim their
victory. The Thayan Regent, Szass Tam, rewarded
them only with death. The zulkirs left behind administrators and soldiers in the Wizard’s Reach, but in
the chaos and confusion that followed the rulers’
deaths, Aglarond declared renewed sovereignty over
the area. It remains to be seen whether the Thayan
remnants will gainsay the Simbarch Council’s declaration without their former leaders.
Streetwise DC 10: In addition to the threat of an
overt attack by Thay’s undead army, evils spawned
under Thay’s influence find their way to the wilds of
Aglarond’s Yuirwood. To the north, expanding Thesk
now encroaches. The Aglarondans get along well with
the Nentyarch of the Great Dale, and also with the
genasi of the city of Airspur to the south.
Settlements and Features
Aglarond includes both coastal land and communities, as well as the vast Yuirwood forest.
THE SIMBUL
The former ruler of Aglarond is thought to have perished
in the Year of Seven Sisters (1425 DR). Many believe the
Simbul was consumed in the fire that destroyed the god
Velsharoon, and they honor her sacrifice in keeping the
god’s corpse—a powerful token in its own right—out of
evil hands. In truth, the powerful mage did survive the
conflagration and now resides in the Dalelands.
88
Veltalar
Capital City; Population 70,000
Aglarond’s capital, formerly called Velprintalar, is
the nation’s chief port. The inhabitants followed the
retreating coast as the Sea of Fallen Stars subsided
late in the previous century. They left behind the
older, narrower, jumbled buildings of what is now
called Old Velprintalar to worsening slumhood.
Simbarch Council: Aglarond is ruled by a council of fifteen simbarchs, all spellcasters. They meet in
the old Palace of the Simbul, a mansion of pale green
stone built upon a rise overlooking the city. The
simbarchs inherited both the palace and their titles
from the country’s former ruler, though their current
positions required armed strife with outlying populations who were initially disinclined to be governed
by the Council.
One simbarch, Seriadne, takes the form of an elf
but is actually a malaugrym who seeks to advance her
own sinister agenda. Another, Ertrel, works to undermine his fellow simbarchs—he is allied with Ambal,
the leader of the Stone Bears thieves’ ring.
Undumor
Thayan Outpost
Aglarond’s grim fortress-city Emmech was lost to
Thayan influence and renamed Undumor. This fortification at the mouth of the River Umber houses
voracious monsters, vampire knights, and shambling
corpses under the command of a necromancer.
Forces of untried city youths and battered
woodsfolk, launched from Citadel Dantalien, join
in perennial attempts to clear the undead threat.
Rumor has it that Undumor is burrowing under the
Umbar River to bypass Dantalien with a tunnel wide
enough to disgorge hundreds of shambling corpses
each minute.
THIEVES OF VELTALAR
The Stone Bears are notorious Aglarondan thieves. They
operate out of Old Velprintalar, the squalor of which frustrates any real effort by city officials to bring the thieves
to justice.
Ambal leads the Stone Bears. Most are unaware that he
is heir to great wealth. His grandfather, a powerful human
merchant, survived the civil war that followed when
the Simbul disappeared. Although Aglarond has mostly
accepted the rulership of the simbarchs, some wealthy
human lords still wait for the opportunity to overthrow
them and install a nonspellcaster. Ambal styles himself
just such a revolutionary. He finances his machinations
against the rule of simbarchs through both thievery and
secret donations by noble human malcontents.
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AG L A RO N D
Watchwall
Southeastern Defense
The Watchwall is a massive, magically engineered stone wall stretching
15 miles from the fortress city of
Glarondar to the slopes of mighty
Umbergoth. The Watchwall overlooks
the Umber Marshes, a morass of bogs,
swamps, and mudflats run through
with shallow streams that drain south.
The Army of the Green Drake
consists of a mere 350 troops stationed in Glarond Keep and along the
Watchwall. Their numbers are so significantly reduced from their former
strength that monsters out of Thay
and the Umber Marshes are becoming
bolder. Still, the threat along the Watchwall is considered minor compared to that from Undumor. Thus,
troop levels remain low, as does morale.
Yuirwood
Peninsular Forest
Aglarond’s signature feature is the Yuirwood, a forest
whose depths are a dangerous expanse of plaguelands and hostile fey. The woods also contain ancient,
malfunctioning portals that open sometimes to a
splintered nightmare land of loss, and other times, to
the Feywild.
The wild tribes of half-elves and elves of the Yuirwood are suspicious of outsiders, including their
fellow citizens living along the coasts. They dispute
the rule of the Simbarch Council. The simbarchs,
for their part, have made little effort to assert their
authority over the denizens of the deep woods. Until
recently, they were more concerned with the exzulkirs in the Wizard’s Reach.
Of more concern are the plaguelands hidden in
the tangles of the Yuirwood. Ruins of an eladrin civilization litter the forest and seem to attract pockets of
active Spellplague, especially within menhir circles.
These standing stones are monuments that also mark
fey portals that once opened onto a realm called
CITADEL DANTALIEN
The simbarchs constructed a fortress south of Undumor,
directly across the wide Umber River. The massive citadel
is continually seeking naive recruits, skilled adventurers,
and mercenaries loyal to coin.
The citadel provides basic training and equipment
for raw recruits assigned to bottling up the undead of
Undumor. Whenever possible, the citadel’s leadership
assembles elite groups of four to six adventurers each
and sends them on missions near and even inside the
haunted city.
Sildëyuir. A few circles now lead to fragments of that
fabled land—islands of solid ground inhabited by
strange monsters. A large part of Sildëyuir was pulled
into the returning Feywild, and many eladrin finally
found a true home there.
Plots and Adventure Sites
Laothkund the Drowned: The sinking waters
of the Sea of Fallen Stars did not match the subsidence of the land beneath Laothkund. Now fish swim
Laothkund’s silt-dusted lanes, and sea monsters
inhabit its drowned towers. The dead city’s treasures
yet lie in the cold depths.
Tannath Mountains: This range forms the southern edge of the Dragonjaw Mountains, south of the
River Umber. The mountains are tall and rugged,
flanked by wide passes. Griffons, giants, and stony
beings more mountain than flesh inhabit the high
peaks and steep slopes. Abandoned silver mines
puncture the Tannath slopes, worked out and empty.
However, rumor has it that the old mine shafts now
serve as warrens for an extended tribe of opportunistic goblins.
The Witchhouse: Legend tells of six sisters who
inhabit an old mansion on the Yuirwood’s western
edge. In one night of blood, the sisters murdered
their father, mother, and brothers and swore a pact
to something infernal. Even fifty years later, the
so-called “Velprin Witches” inspire scores of scary
stories. Foresters sometimes stumble upon their
decrepit mansion, although not always in the same
place. When people in western Aglarond disappear, it
is said the Velprin Witches took them.
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AKANÛL
This land is characterized by crazed stone spires,
cavernous ravines, and cliffs like petrified waves.
Free-floating earthmotes host miniature forests,
grasslands, and lakes. Ever-replenishing waterfalls
flow from watermotes to drape the land below in
curtains of mist. The wild landscape seems perfectly
suited to the tempestuous genasi who claim the land
as their own. They breed several varieties of drakes to
assist them in trade, transport, and war.
Akanûl’s capital and largest city, Airspur, holds
the bulk of the population. Otherwise, the claimed
territory is mostly frontier. The shattered ruins of
Chondathan cities lie broken at the bottom of ravines
or thrust high atop stone buttes, a constant draw
to adventurers seeking troves of lost gold. Predators native to Abeir hunt shadowed lowlands, while
ravenous abolethic horrors stalk the cloud-girdled
northern skies, pursuing their own inscrutable plans.
Akanûl Lore
History DC 20: A portion of Toril’s sibling world
Abeir violently exchanged places with western Chessenta during the Spellplague. Prior to the merger, this
Abeiran land was populated predominantly by genasi
in the realm of Shyr. Generations of Shyran genasi
suffered under the brutal rule of a primordial named
Karshimis. When the Spellplague struck, only a portion of Shyr was transferred. The transported genasi
rejoiced upon discovering that their overlord’s citadel
of burning ice had not made the trip with them, and
set about creating a realm of their own. Akanûl is
now counted among the nations of Faerûn.
Akanûl survived its first contact with the Abolethic
Sovereignty roughly fifty years ago. During that conflict, the genasi’s first city of Brassune was destroyed
and depopulated by unfettered kraken. Survivors
fled the northernmost portion of the kingdom, which
remains abandoned. The current capital city of Airspur was constructed miles to the southeast, from the
bones of a lost Chondathan city of the same name.
Streetwise DC 15: Akanûl is allied with High
Imaskar and Aglarond, and is currently on good
GETTING AROUND AKANÛL
Wondrous suspension bridges are prevalent in Airspur
and other areas. These connections run from cliff dwellings to sky-scraping towers and even to earthmotes.
Thickly muscled, if slow, draft drakes pull conveyances
across these bridge-roads. Simple carts compete with
elaborate carriages for space on the swaying lanes.
90
terms with Chessenta despite the rivalry between
that land and High Imaskar. Netheril too has an
embassy in Airspur. This Shadovar toehold has
soured relations with the kingdom of Cormyr. Akanûl
has no direct ties with Calimshan, viewing the slaveowning genasi of that realm as decadent and morally
bankrupt. Akanûl and Tymanther, another Abeiran
land, still hold long-standing grudges, and the two
have occasionally skirmished in the blasted land of
Chessenta’s southern marches.
Settlements and
Features
Akanûl is noted for its awe-inspiring vistas and the
dangers that gird its borders and lowlands.
Airspur
Airspur’s infrastructure, shops, and dwellings are
incorporated into Akanûl’s wondrous landscape
of elemental spires and earthmotes. In this threedimensional city, upper spires do not necessarily have
a foundation on solid land (though most do). The city
is patrolled by genasi riding well-trained war drakes.
Airspur is home mostly to genasi. Representatives
of other races also live here, usually craftspeople,
mercenaries, or other specialized workers, but genasi
also fill many of these positions (and none but genasi
ever act in leadership roles). Being a genasi in the
city means never having to worry about falling on
hard times. The queen sees to the basic needs of all
refugees from Shyr and their direct descendants
(although criminals and ne’er-do-wells are eventually
expelled).
The Queen and the Four Stewards: Akanûl is
ruled by Queen Arathane in partnership with the
four Stewards of Earth, Fire, Sea, and Sky. Arathane
is considered a good and just ruler. Her throne is high
atop a twisted spire above Airspur where each of the
FIRESTORM CABAL
Even in a kingdom as idealistically founded and enthusiastically supported by its citizens as Akanûl, dissent exists.
Some genasi hold the queen and the four Stewards in
contempt for their failure to adequately secure the kingdom’s borders, against either the abolethic threat or the
dragonborn of Tymanther.
The Firestorm Cabal is pledged to patrolling the northern and eastern borders of Akanûl, beyond the kingdom’s
official defensive perimeter. It keeps its Motherhouse in
Airspur and has smaller safe houses all around the kingdom. Average citizens see the Firestormers as national
heroes, willing to risk all. Akanûl’s officials see them as
distractions at best and provocateurs at worst, but so far
have allowed them to travel into the frontier.
6/18/08 8:06:30 AM
AK ANÛL
four Stewards holds his or her own tiny “thronemote.”
There, the lords decide the fate of the kingdom.
Each of the four Stewards has specialized responsibilities. Tradrem Kethtrod, Steward of the Earth,
heads up a body of secret informers and spies within
and especially beyond Akanûl’s borders. Magnol,
Steward of Fire, cares only about Akanûl’s defense
against any and all enemies; Akanûl’s armies ultimately answer to him. Myxofin, Steward of the Sea,
oversees the business of the realm as the Lord of
Coin. Lehaya, Steward of the Sky, is also called the
Lawgiver because she is charged with administering the laws of Akanûl. All give their allegiance to
the queen, but if they together disagree with their
monarch—by her late mother’s own decree—she must
abide by their wishes.
Brassune Safehold
Firestorm Cabal Safe House
The Firestormers’ most famous safe house is located
on the outskirts of Brassune, the city the genasi first
established in Akanûl. The Brassune Safehold is
located on a large forestmote overlooking the tumbled, mist-shrouded ruins of the city. It is a defensible
structure of stone, with dual lookout towers to warn
against incursions from the ruins—attacks by kuo-toa
servants of the Abolethic Sovereignty are frequent.
Those interested in delving in the ruins of Brassune can’t find a better place than this to retreat and
rest. The Safehold offers quarters, basic supplies, and
hot meals for all who pledge loyalty to the Firestorm
Cabal, regardless of lineage (although dragonborn are
still shunned).
Chondalwood
Border Jungle
Akanûl doesn’t claim the Chondalwood, though it
does regularly send foresters into the lush land. The
tropical forest is a confusion of ravines and floating junglemotes,some sailing free, others webbed
to lower regions by thick vines and vegetation. The
Chondalwood’s vigor is impressive—it grew in the
Spellplague’s wake instead of being diminished or
erased. Its colonizing junglemotes spread like airborne seeds in all directions.
Spellscarred satyrs and other fey roam the jungle.
The satyrs tell stories of halflings and centaurs that
MAGEDOOM
At the center of the Chondalwood is a ruin of ancient,
toppled stone towers whose cellars are packed with gold
coins. The elves of Wildhome steer well clear of it, citing
terrible bodiless guardians that ravage flesh and inspire
madness. The horrors attack spellcasters in particular,
igniting them like torches.
once also inhabited the Chondalwood. Above all
else, plant creatures of every variety thrive, including
fungus hulks, mushroom entities, and stranger beings
in the deep wood.
A once-sizable group of elves yet calls the Chondalwood home. Their nation has declined to a single
extended territory called Wildhome. The elves
declare blood feud on any outsider whose explorations threaten to reach the jungle’s heart.
Akanamere Tomb: The waters of the Akanamere
were once the main source of fresh water for western
Chessenta, but wilderness has reclaimed and laid waste
to the surrounding farmland. The tomb of a powerful
wizard drowned long ago now stands partially revealed
at the lake’s center. This pyramidal construction of
stone is still magically sealed against moisture.
Dragonroost: Somewhere in the Akanapeaks
lairs a dragon of prodigious size. Its name is
unknown, and sightings of it are unreliable. It is
thought to be a gray dragon, one of these draconic
breeds whose temperament and abilities are as yet
untested. Whatever its nature, this dragon engages
genasi and abolethic ambassadors with equal ferocity.
Glass Mesa: In the Akanûl wilderness rears a
great translucent tableland, apparently a solid chunk
of clear quartz. Sometimes a blot darkens the mesa’s
heart; other times it is absent. The genasi say the
Glass Mesa is a remnant of Shyr, though none alive
know what function, if any, it once served. By decree
of Akanûl’s first queen, the Glass Mesa is off-limits to
all citizens, on pain of death.
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AMN
playing field. Rebellion simmers constantly among
Amn’s numerous disaffected and disenfranchised,
many of whom are halflings.
Amn is a nation under the golden thumb of a few
obscenely rich and corrupt merchant houses. With
the wealth these oligarchs command, Amnian fleets
dominate Faerûn’s southern coasts. Amn’s rulers have
declared arcane magic to be illegal, except in the
hands of spellcasters licensed by the High Houses. All
others are denied the opportunity to level the magical
POWERS OF AMN
Amn’s Council of Five includes the Meisarch, Tessarch,
Namarch, Iltarch, and Pommarch. Although these positions were once anonymously held, they now openly
belong to the houses Selemchant (from Athkatla, sponsors of the Cowled Wizards), Dannihyr (from Eshpurta,
secret masters of the Shadow Thieves), Alibakkar (from
Athkatla), Ophal (from Crimmor), and Nashivaar (from
Esmeltaran, strongly allied with the Church of Cyric),
respectively.
Each of the High Houses (whose leaders make up the
council) sponsors a number of smaller client houses. The
mercantile cabals constantly feud, each wanting a bigger
piece of the pie and working to insinuate their members
into good positions. In theory, a highly successful independent house could claim a spot on the council and make
it a Council of Six as it once was. Right now, about the
only thing the leaders of Amn agree on is that there’s no
reason to cut the take six ways.
Other important groups include the following.
The Cowled Wizards: This cabal of the only “legal”
arcanists in Amn is under the control of House Selemchant. The Cowled Wizards serve as the Meisarch’s spies,
troubleshooters, and assassins. Most are little more than
mercenaries.
The Shadow Thieves: This widespread syndicate has
largely succeeded in driving all other Amnian thieves’
guilds out of business.
Church of Cyric: Cyric’s faith is powerful in Amn,
since it espouses as virtues ambition, self-reliance, and
the principle of “buyer beware.” The church is not seen
as particularly murderous or antisocial by most Amnians.
Those initiated into the deeper circles of the faith know
otherwise. Merchants who don’t want to suffer mysterious monster attacks against their caravans and ships pay
off the Black Sun. Many wish to arrange such things for
their rivals and willingly participate in every sort of degradation and initiation demanded by the Prince of Lies.
The Cyricists are working to elevate the Pommarch to the
position of council leader.
The Emerald Cabal: This secret society of unlawful
spellcasters opposes the whole crooked Amnian system.
The cabal occasionally arranges “unfortunate events” for
merchant lords who become excessively destructive.
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Amn Lore
History DC 20: Amn’s colonies across the Trackless Sea vanished in the Spellplague, but Amnian
merchant companies (backed by highly prized charters obtained from the ruling Council) still control
profitable areas of Chult, the Mhair Archipelago, and
the Moonshaes.
Streetwise DC 15: Nobody really likes Amn.
Amnian merchants organized into various “companies” have strong-armed and intimidated people for
thousands of miles around. The nation revels in plundering the wealth of a dozen other countries. Still, it is
a human land, and individual Amnians aren’t really
all that bad. It’s only the rich ones you have to watch
out for.
Amn’s rivalry with Waterdeep is particularly
fierce, although it’s more competition between
certain merchant houses than national fervor. The
monstrous realm of Muranndin to the south is a constant headache to Amnian trade.
Tethyr regards Amn’s voraciousness with no small
concern, despite declaring its friendship with the
nation. Such a “friend” is not likely to be of much help
when trouble strikes, unless well paid for the effort.
Settlements and
Features
Amn is heavily settled, especially along its great rivers
and around Lakes Esmel and Weng. Inns and taverns
cater to traffic along the Trade Way, lining the road
for the length of its passage through the country.
Athkatla
Anything goes in Athkatla. What is considered illegal, immoral, or despicable in other places passes
without comment in this so-called city of sin if the
price is right. Lewdness, slavery, and even less savory
acts such as murder occur here, as in any large city.
But in Athkatla, the law permits almost anything.
The only illegality is speaking or acting against a
merchant house. In all other cases, the response to an
offense is a fee, whose size depends on the degree of
inconvenience to the other party. Once the fee is paid
(often in advance), the act is not considered criminal—only not paying is seen as unlawful behavior.
Gold flows freely in Athkatla. As one of the busiest
ports in all Faerûn, almost any good or service can be
had here. Ships from places near and far dock in the
C H A P T ER 6 | Fa e r ûn an d Be yo n d a c t e r C l a sses
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AMN
city, transporting exotic vegetables, slaves, jewelry,
strange relics, pirate booty, and more. Athkatla’s marketplace might even overshadow Waterdeep’s. Above
the bay is Goldspires, a temple to Waukeen nearly as
large as a small town.
Popular shops include Tiny Deaths (poisons),
the Museum of Inquisition (torture equipment),
Madroon’s Curios (a little of this, a little of that),
Lowmarket (slaves), Faded Ages (memory tailoring), Odd Candy (sweets . . . ?), and I Change (body
modification).
Crimmor
Caravan City; Population 40,000
The “caravan capital of Amn” is a fortified mustering
point for practically all trade heading northward by
land. The Shadow Thieves (see the “Powers of Amn”
sidebar) openly headquarter in Crimmor because it
is the one city where they do not practice their trade.
Indeed, they ruthlessly stamp out any freelance
thieves.
Crimmor bristles with inns, taverns, and festhalls
serving the numerous caravanners and adventurers
who pass this way.
The Cloud Peaks: These mountains mark the
northern border of Amn. Despite being home to
white dragons and other dangerous creatures, they
are mined for iron, precious metal, and gems. A pair
of steep crags known as the Fangs guards the Trade
Way leading to the Sword Coast lands. Giants are
sometimes seen scaling the crags as part of some ceremony or game.
MURANNDIN
South of Amn lies the monster kingdom of Muranndin,
comprising the city of Murann, the Small Teeth, and portions of the northern Wealdath and eastern Dragon’s
Head peninsula. This realm isolates the independent
duchy of Velen from the rest of Faerûn and exacts tolls on
all traffic along the Trade Way. Marauders from Muranndin roam all nearby lands.
Slavery is common here. The monstrous conquerors
of the city enslaved thousands of Amnians back in the
1370s, and many of the descendants of those unfortunates still serve the ogres, orcs, and bandits of the area.
A human in Muranndin can easily fight his way out of
slavery—if he’s willing to show the orcs and ogres he’s as
mean, nasty, and tough as they are.
Orc and ogre chieftains (as well as black-hearted
human bandit lords) maintain scattered strongholds and
keeps here. Although all are theoretically subject to the
dictates of the kingdom’s leader, the Great Mur, infighting
and feuds are common.
The Cloud Peaks are also home to the Mountain of
Skulls, a temple dedicated to Cyric.
Lake Esmel: This dark blue lake plummets to
unknown depths in its central, southern, and eastern
portions. Hot mineral springs flow in the western
shallows. Rumors speak of a great wyrm lairing
there—some stories describe it as red, others copper.
The Wailing Dwarf: An enormous vertical slab
of rock 4,000 feet high in the western portion of
the Troll Mountains is carved to resemble a dwarf.
Named because of the noise of the wind blowing
through its hollow eyes, ears, and mouth, it marks the
site of an abandoned dwarven city. In more recent
times, the underground ruin was controlled by an
unusually clever tribe of trolls. A newer, more vicious
force has taken over the site, however, slaughtering
the trolls. During the last decade, no creature entering the Wailing Dwarf has returned to tell what new
monstrosity hides in the fallen city.
Behind the facade of the Wailing Dwarf, the
shackled bodies of maimed, regenerating trolls are
strapped across walls and ceilings. This terrible spectacle is a warning posted by several guardian nagas
that the trolls disturbed after pushing too far into
the ruin, a clear message to intelligent creatures to
retreat from the complex immediately lest they face
a similar fate. The nagas, sentinels imbued with an
unquenchable desire to protect their secrets, remain
potent obstacles to any other creature seeking to find
treasure or knowledge in the old dwarven city.
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BALDUR’S GATE
This sprawling city depends on the trade passing
through its ports and gates to support a population far
too big for its own good. The only criterion for citizenship is a couple of silver pieces. Humans dominate
the city, though eladrin, elves, dwarves, and other
civilized humanoids have settled here. Baldur’s Gate
is a city anyone can visit, and strangers met in far-off
places might originally hail from here.
Though census figures are impossible to rely on,
the city’s population is believed to have long ago
surpassed even Waterdeep’s. How the metropolis
manages to support itself is unclear—somehow, it
just does. Those who pay attention to such things
in Faerûn refer to the phenomenon as “the Baldur’s
Gate Miracle.”
Baldur’s Gate is a prosperous city where just about
anything can happen, and often does. It contains an
active and organized thieves’ guild, powerful merchants with questionable ethics, and influential cults
and secret societies both malignant and benign. All
the power groups maintain a precarious balance
under the authority of the Flaming Fists, a former
mercenary group that serves as the city’s police force,
law enforcement, and protector.
Baldur’s Gate Lore
History DC 15: Untouched by the Spellplague,
Baldur’s Gate received an influx of refugees from
the south that greatly swelled its population in the
KEY INHABITANTS OF
BALDUR’S GATE
Grand Duke Portyr: A fair man well liked (though not
quite loved) by the citizens, Portyr is easily manipulated
by power blocs inside and outside the parliament. His
inability to side wholly with anyone on anything keeps
the city stable, however.
Nine-Fingers: The head of the thieves’ guild, NineFingers Keene is one of the most powerful inhabitants of
Baldur’s Gate. She has a candidate of her own in mind to
succeed Portyr.
High Priest Faenor: A servant of Oghma, Faenor presides over the High House of Wonders, a temple once
exclusively devoted to Gond. Faenor sees himself as the
true stabilizing force of Baldur’s Gate, and his rhetoric
stops just short of calling for the institution of an Oghmanyte theocracy.
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months and years following the disaster. Word
soon spread—not entirely accurately—that Baldur’s
Gate was an “open city,” a safe haven for refugees
from south of the Sea of Fallen Stars. The trickle of
displaced people soon became a flood, and the city
nearly collapsed under the weight of a population that
doubled, then tripled in size.
Streetwise DC 15: Baldur’s Gate refuses to be
drawn into local political conflicts. The city-state has
remained neutral through any number of regional
disagreements. This policy has created an environment where no nation or city-state bears Baldur’s
Gate ill will (though “businesspeople” out of Luskan
or even merchants in Waterdeep resent the considerable competition from the city’s port). The thought of
invading a place as huge and well defended as Baldur’s Gate is something its neighbors never seriously
consider—the Flaming Fists is a military power to be
reckoned with.
City Districts
The heart of Baldur’s Gate lies within the old, high
walls, but the city has spread across the River Chionthar and for miles in every direction. Built quickly
and by the hands of refugees, the architecture is a
hodgepodge of styles from all across Toril. Streets
meander in a maze visitors find impossible to
navigate. Despite these impediments, districts and
neighborhoods have emerged, providing local color
and character that only the natives can pick out from
among the architectural morass.
Bloomridge
Wealthy Neighborhood
Bloomridge, through feats of engineering and magic,
is contained on and within the old walls of Baldur’s
Gate. The neighborhood extends down the side of
the wall in swoops of stairs, galleries, and hanging
gardens. It swarms with well-dressed buyers and discreet sellers. Architecturally pleasing shops are built
in and around flower-filled arcades and open-air
cafes.
The wealthy and celebrated seek to buy one of the
rarely available houses in Bloomridge, or failing that,
to rent one of the small but expensive apartments
built over popular shops and cafes.
Twin Songs
Temple District
Twin Songs is one of many temple districts in the city,
and a small one at that. Because the city’s population
is so diverse, this area hosts temples to powers with
wildly different goals. Even shrines to evil gods persist unchallenged by the Flaming Fists. Though local
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Candlekeep: This many-towered fortress stands
on a slender volcanic crag 100 feet off the coast. Candlekeep preserves a huge library of Faerûnian lore,
learning, and prophecy.
The keep’s central tower is surrounded by beautiful grounds. A ring of buildings runs along the inside
of the massive outer walls. The structures include
guest houses, stables, granaries, a warehouse, an
infirmary, a temple to Oghma, and shrines to Gond
and Milil.
The keep is ruled by the Keeper of the Tomes and
First Reader, who are assisted by several Great Readers, many scribes, and numerous apprentices. Visitors
who bring a tome as their entry fee are allowed to
stay for up to a tenday, during which time they can
conduct research and have rare books copied (for a
steep price).
Church of Last Hope: This large stone chapel
is located in the Twin Songs district. Depressing
music emanates from the dour and dirty chapel. The
Church of Last Hope offers a brief “sanctuary” for
the suicidal. When gloom and depression are at their
worst, the church sends a card by courier, inviting
the vulnerable to services. How do they know when
someone is feeling down? A religious miracle, assert
the Last Hope celebrants. The church claims to provide a dignified exit from life in a reverent ritual of
peace and memory. In truth, those who fully partake
in the ritual lose not only their life, but their souls as
well. So far, no one has come back to complain or to
reveal the charade for the evil ritual of destruction
it is.
Cloak Wood: South of Baldur’s Gate, the Cloak
Wood is a thickly overgrown, ancient forest that
looms along the shore south of the Sword Coast.
Unlike the cliffs to the north, the Cloak Wood’s
shoreline theoretically allows a ship to moor and
launch a small boat for water and supplies. In practice, only desperate mariners dare the wood’s nasty
population of beasts, monsters, and vicious fey.
The Cloak Wood once contained portals to several
other parts of Faerûn. The sages of Candlekeep say
most of those passages are now defunct.
Mandorcai’s Mansion: This fabulously appointed
manor is located in the Bloomridge district. It is
named for the owner, a tiefling who purchased the
grounds from a rival merchant’s heir the morning
after the rival was found dead under suspicious
circumstances (all the corpse’s blood was missing).
No connection was ever traced to Mandorcai. The
tiefling’s mansion became something of a sensation
when it appeared on the vacant lot, fully built, landscaped, and staffed, just three days after the final
purchase. Many whispered of diabolic pacts, though
again nothing was ever proved.
Then Mandorcai went missing, and his mansion
began to trap any who entered it. Only a few escaped,
and they speak of shifting rooms, oppressive chants
by unseen singers, and nightmarish, blood-soaked
scenes of butchery. It might well be that Baldur’s Gate
has a devil problem after all.
Wizard Cave: Far below the city, in a natural
cavern locked in eternal dark, is a wizard’s tower.
Created as a refuge from the city by a wizard absent
(or dead) for thirty years, the tower is accessible from
the surface streets first by sewer conduits, then by
little-known deeper tunnels. Most inhabitants of Baldur’s Gate would be surprised to learn of these old
passages beneath the city, which possibly lead even
into the Underdark. In any event, the abandoned
wizard’s tower stands as a silent sentry on the edge
of this deeper expanse, its doors and windows sealed
against all entry for reasons unknown.
B A L D U R ’ S G AT E
chapels and temples can be found in the tenement
districts, Twin Songs is wholly devoted to the divine.
Here one can easily find temples willing to perform
healing rituals for the appropriate price.
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THE BEASTLANDS
Monsters infest the region north of Estagund and
Durpar. Among the remains of the lost kingdom
of Veldorn, the Beast Lords rule this area without
mercy over competing tribes and brutal city-states.
Each monstrous lord vies against the others for land,
power, and prestige, though all occasionally unite in
a fractious alliance when armies from other regions
threaten. Beyond this mutual defense pact, the Beastlands exists in a constant state of low-level conflict.
The Beast Lords include undead, dragons, giants,
and even beholders, but plenty of humans live here—
mostly slaves or outlaws who have fled other realms.
A few folk who find the rulership of monsters to their
liking also dwell in the Beastlands.
Beastlands Lore
History DC 15: Long ago, monsters from the
Giant’s Belt Mountains and a vast stretch of wilderness called the Beastlands overran or conquered the
inland Durpari cities of a region known as Veldorn.
Kenkus, birdlike people from the east, settled part of
the area later. During the Spellplague and the intervening century, dragons, giants, and rakshasas from
the Giant’s Belt and Dustwall chains destroyed or
took all but the last remaining cities in Durpar. The
flooding of Luiren and the desolation of the Shaar
allowed the Beastlands to expand west and south. To
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outsiders, the Beastlands are and have long been a
barbaric region where humans are kept as slaves and
monsters walk without fear.
Streetwise DC 15: Most of the Beast Lords
acknowledge a loose alliance, created by the charismatic vampire lord Saed of Old Vaelan (page 119) in
Durpar. As a result, the despots defend one another
from all would-be invaders. Otherwise, each rules
alone over separate lands. Tirumala, one of the
monster-controlled city-states of the Beastlands, has a
strange alliance with the human-controlled nation of
Estagund.
Streetwise DC 30: The ravenlike kenkus have
become integrated into almost every state in the
Beastlands, as well as the cities of Durpar and Estagund. They have a hidden rookery in Blackfeather
Barrens where, it is whispered, they maintain a network loyal only to kenkus.
Settlements and
Features
Adventure and danger abound in the Beastlands. The
ruins of Veldorn cities and much older Imaskari dungeons are scattered throughout the region.
Tirumala
Holy City; Population 10,000
Situated atop seven “holy hills,” the city-state of Tirumala is ruled by a rakshasa rajah of the same name.
Tirumala rebuilt the so-called Holy City from the
foundations of a Durpari settlement razed long ago
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by giants. Rakshasa nobles live here, served by a large
force of hill giant and orc soldiers, as well as a spy
network of kenkus. The rest of the populace is composed mostly of human, halfling, and kenku slaves.
Recently, Tirumala opened trade with Estagund.
All folk know that evil rules in the Holy City, so many
people suspect that Estagund’s rajah has been magically influenced, if not outright replaced.
Blackfeather Barrens
Kenku-Controlled Badlands
Blackfeather Barrens is a region of fractured plains
situated between various monster states within the
Beastlands. Within the desolate canyon lands is
the hidden kenku rookery of Blackfeather, a town
inhabited solely by kenkus. Although the birdfolk are
part of the populace of cities and states around the
area, and readily serve differing causes, those of the
Barrens attack all outsiders without mercy. Even the
monsters of the Beastlands fear Blackfeather Barrens. It is a place of death that belongs only to those
who have proven themselves strong enough to keep
it—the kenkus.
JAMES ZHANG
Aerilpar Forest: Known also as the Wood of
Dark Trees, this dense jungle is home to all sorts
of dangerous creatures. The animate and malevolent trees from which the forest gets its name are
numerous, as are venomous flying snakes. A pair of
chimeras with black dragon heads lives deep in the
forest, lairing not far from the Mound of the Sleepless
and attacking any who approach. What the chimeras
guard is unknown.
THE BE ASTL ANDS
Castle Al’hanar: Atop a great precipice in the
Toadsquat Mountains, overlooking the Gulf of Luiren,
stands a shattered keep. The fortress once housed
the near-mythical Knights of the Eternal Dragon, an
order of undead warriors pledged to foil the machinations of the Everlasting Wyrm of Sharawood (see
below). The cataclysms following the Spellplague
largely ended the fellowship. A good portion of its
keep fell into the sea, and a vicious assault by the
Everlasting Wyrm’s forces decimated the warriors.
The dracolich’s minions still occupy the ruins, guarding the wealth of the knights who fell here.
Mound of the Sleepless: The Wood of Dark
Trees hides a mysterious mound at its center. An old
wall surrounds the place—tree branches grow right
up to but never cross the barrier. A grassy mound
rises within the wall. Maze magic and resident monsters keep intruders at bay, ensuring that the site has
lain undisturbed for at least a century, and perhaps
far longer.
Purple Spire: Sparse foliage, cactuses, and an
occasional squat, thorny tree dot the empty lands
directly west of the Giant’s Belt. In one lost ravine
stands a crooked spire of purple stone. A narrow stair
at the spire’s base leads down to a crumbled chamber
that has runes inscribed on every surface. The markings constitute a puzzle that, if solved, grants passage
to an ancient Imaskari complex.
Sharawood: Sandwiched between the northeastern shore of the Gulf of Luiren and southeastern
shore of the Lake of Salt, Sharawood abuts the
Toadsquat Mountains. The gloomy jungle houses
monstrous spiders, drakes, and strange undead. The
darkest secret of the forest is the Everlasting Wyrm,
a blackfire dracolich that lives in its center. Since the
destruction of its old enemies in Castle Al’hanar, the
dracolich has openly joined the Beastlands. It has the
power and the potential to unite those lands under
its wing.
Thruldar: Once an outlying trade town of Estagund, Thruldar is now a haunted ruin. In the Year
of the Shattered Altar (1264 DR), a human druid
named Voolad gathered an army of monsters and
razed the town.
His victory was short-lived, however. Halflings
from the Lluirwood surprised Voolad and killed him.
Whatever fell purpose drove the druid enabled him
to rise as a powerful ghost. The halflings used strong
magic to seal the city, trapping the mad ghost and
his minions inside. There he was contained, until the
magic failed during the Spellplague.
Thruldar is now the seat of Voolad’s power, and
as a Beast Lord, he controls all that remains of the
eastern Lluirwood, as well as the lands south of the
Toadsquat foothills to the shore of the Gulf of Luiren.
The ghost maintains an army of undead, foul plant
creatures, weird beasts, giant insects, and ogres.
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CALIMSHAN
Calimshan is a desert ruled by battling genasi who
keep human slaves. The overlords wage constant war
against each other across the dune seas and in the
high air. Ruins and mysteries abound, and untold
treasures await any brave enough to venture into the
war-torn badlands of the Calim Desert (also called
the Skyfire Wastes).
Calimshan Lore
History DC 15: The Spellplague shattered the
high magic that bound the efreet Memnon and the
djinn Calim in the Calimemnon Crystal. The two were
released, along with similarly bound servants, many
of whom were genasi. Ancient enemies, Calim and
Memnon immediately picked up where they left
off—trying to annihilate each other. Many presumed
humans among the population revealed themselves
as genasi and joined in the fight. Thousands more
genasi, descendants of those scattered to the Lake
of Steam, Tethyr, and Amn after the first djinn and
efreet empires fell, returned and promptly declared
for air or fire. Even some genasi out of newly arrived
Akanûl joined the fight. The result was thousands
dead, the desert’s expansion east across the Spider
Swamp, and an explosion in the genasi population.
The period between the beginning of the Spellplague and the Year of Holy Thunder (1450 DR) is
known locally as the Second Era of Skyfire. What
happened that year to send Calim and Memnon back
to their home plane no one knows. Their lieutenants
and foot soldiers remain in Calimshan, and continue
a bloody war based on little more than opposing
philosophies.
Streetwise DC 15: The headquarters of the warring genasi factions are the cities of Memnon and
Calimport. The human population of both cities
serves as slaves and as fodder in the constant battles.
Only the city of Almraiven, still rich in magic and well
defended, remains under human control. Indeed, it is
the last bastion of human rule in Calimshan.
MYSTERY FLEET
Almraiven is home to a renowned shipbuilding facility. At
the bustling docks, several long, deep carracks are being
constructed by order of the WeavePasha. Many assume
the vessels are to be used in an upcoming naval raid on
Calimport. Others say the fleet is to be used as a last
resort for evacuation, though it is capable of holding only
about one-tenth of the city’s thousands.
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Streetwise DC 20: Efreets and the genasi pledged
to them do not refer to the country as Calimshan; they
call it Memnonnar, as their empire was known during
the First Era of Skyfire (c. –6500 DR). The djinns and
their genasi followers call their homeland Calimshan,
despite the association of that name with the former
human-ruled nation. Folk beyond the country’s borders simply refer to the whole area as Calimshan,
and so it is still labeled on most maps. Scholars in
Candlekeep have proposed alternative names for the
embattled region, most notably the Skyfire Emirates,
but none have gained widespread use.
Calimshan is unthinkably ancient; before the Spellplague, it was the oldest of all human lands.
Almraiven
Human Bastion; Population 38,000
Prior to the genasi uprising, Almraiven was the premier center for magical study within Calimshan.
Because the Spellplague left the spellcasters of the
city relatively unharmed, they were able to defend it
from the genasi rebellion that overthrew human rule
in greater Calimshan.
The WeavePasha of Almraiven is sworn to protect
his city from the endless wars of fire and air, but
he’s barely holding the place together. If the citizens
understood how tenuous is his hold on the peace,
they would flee as fast as they could.
The WeavePasha’s policy is to expand trade with
and gain allies among other seafaring nations, while
keeping Almraiven from the attentions of its genasi
enemies. The WeavePasha sometimes sends agitators
and Akanûl expatriates to stir up trouble in either
Calimport or Memnon, laying the blame at the other
city’s doorstep.
Calimport
City of Calim Loyalists; Population 60,000
Its population greatly diminished in the Second Era
of Skyfire, Calimport is controlled by genasi who
have enslaved the remaining human population and
wage constant war against Memnon.
The city contains large palaces taken over by
genasi and their retinues, extensive slave markets,
and two great arenas where human slaves are pitted
against each other and against threats from the
Elemental Chaos. The slave brand of Calimport is
infamous—a stylized gust of sand-laden wind.
Human slave stock has dwindled over the years. As
a result, the genasi have begun to employ the services
of slavers from other lands to collect fresh merchandise for the Calimport slave block. Expanding such
operations risks the ire of northern nations, so slavers
6/18/08 8:06:40 AM
CALIMSHAN
range east and south. This situation of course puts a
premium price on slaves of northern stock.
Memnon
City of Memnon Loyalists; Population 35,000
Founded by the army of the efreet Memnon, this city
reveres the entity from which it takes its name. The
genasi of Memnon followed Calimport’s lead and
enslaved the remaining human population, finding
the people to be useful pawns in their war against the
hated followers of Calim.
The city’s outer walls are made of a dark, smooth
rock that absorbs heat and shrugs off wear. This
same dark rock is mined to the east, in the Marching
Mountains, and those slaves who can be spared from
the war effort toil in the mines. The life of a slave
miner is brutal and short.
Calim Desert: This expanse of sand, salt, and
rocks is the blasted battleground of the efreet
Memnon and the djinn Calim. They are now gone,
but the desert remains. The sands hide the ruins of
great cities, some thousands of years old.
THE TWISTED RUNE
Events and alliances in Calimshan have long been influenced by the Twisted Rune, a group of powerful undead
spellcasters led by a mysterious figure who wears a corrupted version of Kelemvor’s symbol. The cabal meddles
in mortal affairs for power and amusement, and it has
forged alliances with genasi leaders in both Calimport
and Memnon. The spellcasters control a handful of stillfunctioning portals leading to places across Faerûn. They
have hundreds of agents, most of whom don’t know their
ultimate masters.
Marching Mountains: This forested mountain
range is home to orcs and ogres that routinely raid
Memnon’s mines in the area. A remnant of a freedom-loving adventuring company called the Janessar
maintains a secret outpost behind a nameless cliff
face. From time to time, it frees groups of slaves, sending them northward, east to Almraiven; former slaves
who ask to join the Janessar are readily admitted.
The Plain of Stone Spiders: Formerly the Spider
Swamp, this area dried up with the expansion of the
Calim Desert. The native creatures were infused with
elemental magic, or perhaps were plaguechanged;
either way, they now have limited control over their
rocky environment.
Suldolphor: This once-vibrant city of almost
150,000 souls is now a stretch of sand-blasted ruin
where efreets battle djinns in an endless cycle of mad
violence. Its streets, buildings, and palaces lie buried
only feet beneath the sweltering, ever-moving dust of
the Calim Desert. City features sometimes appear in
the wake of a strong sandstorm, only to vanish again
in the next battle. Some say an association of merchants and traders called the Unseen Hand once kept
a secret base in Suldolphor, and vast treasuries are
rumored to be hidden there.
Tomb of the Astronomer: Tales speak of a lost
reliquary for a djinn contemporary of Calim, though
not as powerful. This ancient tomblike structure, lost
in the midst of the Calim Desert, is said to contain
an age-old secret. The noted collector Dulmanico of
Waterdeep is said to be putting together an expedition to dig up the reliquary.
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CHESSENTA
Descendants of ancient Imaskari slaves, the people of
Chessenta are obsessed with physical conflict. They
value their war heroes highly, hailing them as celebrities and potential rulers. Chessenta’s national enmity
is focused mostly on the resurrected nation to the
east, High Imaskar.
Despite half the nation being devastated by a
cast-off piece of Abeir, elements of the former Chessenta survive and even prosper. Although many
Chessentan cities were destroyed in this tumultuous
transposition, others survived and accepted refugees
from the obliterated lands of Chondath, Unther, and
even Mulhorand. The country involuntarily ceded all
its western lands, those most radically altered in the
Year of Blue Fire, to the Abeiran genasi of Akanûl.
Chessenta Lore
History DC 15: When the surface lands partially
collapsed into the Underdark, the smoldering volcanoes in the Smoking Mountains to the south touched
off, as did Mount Thulbane to the north. From the
Smoking Mountains, various disturbed creatures
ravaged northward. In the north, the vampiric green
dragon Jaxanaedegor was freed to forage even during
the day, since the sun was obscured by an ashen sky.
Faced with monstrous invasions so soon after massive
KEY INHABITANTS
OF LUTHCHEQ
Shala Karanok: Luthcheq is ruled by this war hero. She
is related to the founding hero Ishual Karanok, and is the
sole remaining descendant of her family. She is always
accompanied by the orbiting Crown Jewel of Chessenta.
Luthen: A secret pawn of the vampiric green dragon
Jaxanaedegor, Luthen is high in Shala’s councils. He
reports significant information back to his true master;
physical information drops occur through a series of mercenaries who are unaware of their ultimate paymaster.
Anhor: A spellscarred elf whose presence is said to
disrupt magic, Anhor seeks to steal the Crown Jewel of
Chessenta. He sees it as the root cause of Chessenta’s
continued irrational hatred of magic—or so he tells his
adherents (wizards, warlocks, and other arcanists). In
fact, he wants the item to renew the Cult of Entropy
that existed prior to the Spellplague. Anhor views the
death of Mystra as a good first start and gloried in the
resulting Spellplague, but he is discouraged with magic’s
resurgence in the aftermath. He views the “greenpalms”
walking the streets as abominations.
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upheaval and changes to the land, Chessenta nearly
failed.
The only city not devastated and broken was
Luthcheq. There, the fractious, surviving inhabitants
rallied under a war hero named Ishual Karanok.
Fighting off marauding monsters, abolethic horrors, and opportunistic settlers from less disrupted
lands to the north, Chessenta persisted. When the
immediate hostilities cooled, Ishual returned to his
family home in what remained of Luthcheq. The
hero disbanded a wizard-slaying cult his family had
long propagated (claiming that their aims had been
met with Mystra’s death), but continued to enshrine
the powerful tool that served as the old cult’s focus: a
sphere of annihilation. The item, its powers somewhat
modified since the Year of Blue Fire, now serves as
the Crown Jewel of Chessenta (see page 56 for more
about this minor artifact). Continuing the cult’s aims,
if not its existence, the law of the land subjugates
spellcasters.
Streetwise DC 15: Chessenta is the enemy of
High Imaskar to the east. Although not initially
inclined to return hostilities, High Imaskar has
learned to guard against Chessentan war parties.
The dragonborn of Tymanther are allies. Although
at odds with many people, Chessentans look upon
dragonborn with honor. They believe (rightly or
wrongly) that dragonborn are in some way related
to their own dragon lord, Tchazzar, who returned
briefly to rule Cimbar before the Spellplague devastated the region.
6/18/08 8:06:43 AM
A few interesting locations remain within Chessenta’s
borders.
Luthcheq
Luthcheq stands in the lee of a great cliff-face, half
of its squat structures partially embedded in stone.
Warlord Shala Karanok’s seat of power is the War
College, which juts from the face of the cliff overlooking the city like the prow of a mighty ship.
Chessentans’ distaste for Imaskar extends to all
uses of arcane magic. Known wizards, warlocks, and
other arcanists face execution by burning unless they
agree to have their palms tattooed with special green
sigils that identify their disreputable art. Rumor has
it that the marks prevent their bearers from casting
spells if they do not know their own particular tattoo’s “password.”
Mount Thulbane
The Gates of Burning Mountain: One of the
Smoking Mountains periodically erupts, raining
down hot ash for miles in every direction. Stories
have it that a mad, entombed primordial transposed
from Abeir is responsible for the eruptions, though no
one knows for sure. A number of eyewitness accounts
describe one new and surprising discovery uncovered
by a recent eruption: sealed adamantine gates a hundred feet high in the mountain’s side.
Tchazzar’s Reliquary: Chessenta’s storied past
includes King Tchazzar, known as the Father of
Chessenta and the Great Red Dragon, who ascended
to godhood while battling sahuagin in the Year of
the Dracorage (1018 DR). He returned in the form
of a true red dragon over 350 years later and established absolute rule over the city of Cimbar. Before
the monarch’s plots could bear final fruit, however,
the Spellplague changed everything. Cimbar was
mostly destroyed, and Tchazzar went missing. Nearly
a century later, Tchazzar’s legend remains firmly
ensconced in the modern Chessentan mind.
Recently, a secret reliquary was discovered in the
Sky Riders hills, bearing the Father of Chessenta’s
crest. The reliquary is sealed, and rumor has it that
the place is well trapped and strongly guarded. One
legend says that gaining the reliquary’s heart could
call Tchazzar back to Faerûn once more.
Lair of Jaxanaedegor
This ancient vampiric green dragon lairs somewhere
in Mount Thulbane and claims the surrounding
wastes as its kingdom. Thulbane, the ancient volcano, has partially woken. It constantly spews a dark
canopy of smoke into the sky, allowing the dragon to
fly freely across its realm despite its vampiric nature.
Jaxanaedegor has allowed a Thayan embassy to
be built permanently into its mountain. The complex
holds several high-ranking necromancer ambassadors and a company of undead warriors. Thay seeks
to use Thulbane as a beachhead
in its expansion south of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
Jaxanaedegor, whose power is untested, views the
embassy as its own first move toward consolidating
influence in Thay.
C H E S S E N TA
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CHULT
Chult is a savage land of fearsome jungles plagued by
carnivorous monsters. Human civilization is virtually
nonexistent here, though an Amnian colony and a
port sponsored by Baldur’s Gate cling to the northern
coasts, and a few tribes—some noble savages, others
depraved cannibals—roam the interior. Creatures
of every description hunt Chult’s mysterious, continentwide rainforest. More than one civilization lies
forgotten in the dark heart of the jungle.
Chult Lore
History DC 15: Much of what was formerly
known as the Chultan Peninsula was drowned
almost a hundred years ago. The yuan-ti kingdom
of Serpentes fell in the course of the change, the
kingdom of Samarach was submerged, and the city
of Mezro collapsed into the earth, its population
scattered.
Streetwise DC 20: Principal factions in Chult
now include the yuan-ti survivors of Serpentes
(mostly in the east), the spellscarred of Samarach,
savage tribes (mostly in the northwest), human-run
strongholds along the northern coast, and strange
creatures from across the Trackless Sea that have
begun to colonize the Mistcliffs.
Streetwise DC 25: Junglemotes are common
in Chult. Some are populated with creatures alien
and awful in aspect—entities not native to Chult, or
at least absent since before the time Abeir and Toril
went their separate ways.
Streetwise DC 30: In the Year of Blue Fire, the
Chultan jungle was interpenetrated by pockets of
Abeiran landscape that now lie scattered in the skies
and the forests. Strange, savage behemoths now
prowl the shadowed jungles and wandering motes
alike. Several Chultan tribes were hunted to extinction by these voracious new predators; those that
remain have learned new methods of coexistence.
Settlements and
Features
The mysterious jungles of Chult cloak many wonders,
but its heart of darkness swallows most of the adventurers who dare to enter.
Fort Beluarian
Baldur’s Gate Trade Fort; Population 1,000
This outpost has weathered much over the years, and
twice was completely eradicated by native uprisings.
However, Baldur’s Gate retook the fort both times.
102
The high stockades are manned by elements of the
Flaming Fists mercenaries. Amn has lately made
offers to buy out the city’s interest in the fort. Most
suspect that if the Amnians acquired Beluarian, they
would merely shut it down so that their competing
Port Nyranzaru would control all water traffic to and
from Chult.
The Jungle
Continent-Spanning Overgrowth
Famously mysterious jungles cover Chult. The dense
canopy is broken only by the highest mountains and
a few great, marshy clearings and grasslands that surround large lakes in the interior.
Tavern tales have it that the jungles of Chult are
the deadliest places on Toril. Every bush and vine is a
strangling, poisonous, flesh-eating, or blood-sucking
horror—and under every bush lurks a scaled, taloned,
fanged monster.
Port Nyranzaru
Amnian Trade Colony; Population 12,000
The harbor of Port Nyranzaru was designed with
defense as its first priority, because pirates roam the
sea north of Chult. Protecting against threats from
the interior is just as important, and thus a high
stockade wall of stone fronts the jungle, pierced by
three well-guarded gates.
Amn owns and controls all activity in Port Nyranzaru. Taxes are high, but those lucky enough to be
employed by one of the major trading companies live
in relative safety inside the walls of this ultimate frontier city. Those not affiliated with any of the trading
companies are forced to live in the expansive shantytown beyond the wall. They survive as best they can,
dealing constantly with disease and threats from the
jungle.
Dur Unkush: This ziggurat rises nearly 200 feet
above the marshy jungle floor in a series of 20-foot
steps. Every 44 days, surrounding jungle-dwellers
are summoned by dreams to enact strange rituals
in a covered chamber on top. The summit is accessible by only one stairway, and a guardian serpent
of great size prevents spies from observing the ritual
or the nature of the strange, unearthly music that
RICHES OF CHULT
Chult is riddled with veins of gold, gems as large as a
human’s palm, exotic plants prized by collectors on the
Faerûnian mainland (and sources of poisons, perfumes,
and medicines by the score), huge jungle timbers, and
rubber trees. Amn sees the creation of a monopoly over
Chultan access as one of its highest priorities.
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DISEASE IN CHULT
Disease and parasites are everywhere on the Chultan
Peninsula. They are carried by plants with stabbing spines,
injected through any of the hundreds of insect bites suffered in a typical day, or borne on jungle mists. Those who
drink unboiled jungle water are in for a nasty surprise.
One of the most prevalent diseases, described below, is
carried by the brain fluke.
Brain Fluke: This minuscule, wormlike parasite concludes its adult life in a victim’s brain.
Brain Fluke
This minuscule, wormlike parasite concludes its adult life in
a victim’s brain..
The target ! Initial Effect The brain fluke !"
is cured.
bores into the target’s brain.
The target gains vulnerable 5
psychic and has a –2 penalty to
Will defense until cured.
C H U LT
accompanies every rite. After each
ceremony, the celebrants utterly
forget all that transpired.
Forsaken Tree: Deep in the
Chultan jungle stands a mighty tree,
ancient beyond all imagination.
Cannibal tribe myths say its highest branches scrape the clouds, and
circumnavigating its broad trunk is
a journey of several days. According
to these same tales, the tree is hollow
and sometimes swallows creatures,
which wander its woody interior until
they are finally absorbed as food.
The Forsaken Tree is said to gain its
unholy vigor from a singularly evil
object—a golden coin of one of the
fallen civilizations that long ago ruled
Chult.
Pyramid of the Moon: On nights
when the moon is full and Selûne’s
Tears glitter, the Pyramid of the
Moon appears in Chult, never in the
same place twice. Once it manifested
before those standing on Port Nyranzaru’s walls, shimmering in the far distance. The next
day, over two hundred people were missing from the
port, and they were never seen again.
The pyramid is said to possess interior hollows
where an eternal celebration is held. Spirits walk arm
in arm with living creatures, singing, dancing, and
imbibing wondrous delicacies and fiery spirits. Those
who fail to leave the pyramid before moonset are consigned to become spirits, eternally beholden to the
Silver Priestess who sits on her glass throne within
the inmost chamber.
Quomec Ziggurat: Rising above the jungle canopy is
a ziggurat of twenty-eight stepped levels, surmounted
by a temple sealed behind great bronze doors. The
exterior of the temple is heavily inscribed with indecipherable glyphs. Local tribes claim that the ziggurat
is a funerary crypt to Lord Quomec, an emperor
whose name is recorded in no history book. Other
inscriptions lower on the ziggurat depict a gargantuan sarcophagus from which writhe animate vines.
Ruins of Mezro: Once the fabled holy city of
Chultan priest-kings, Mezro is now a great, vineshrouded cavity in the earth. The pit contains all that
remains of the city when it plunged over 200 feet
during the cataclysm that drowned the peninsula.
Undead haunt the debris. Zombies with blue triangles tattooed on their foreheads shuffle about upon
broken paving stones. Liches that have faded claims
to glory are confined to shattered temples. Ghouls
dart out of the shadows to feed on the sacrifices that
are thrown, tied and screaming, from the lip of the
cavity above.
Level 12 Disease
Attack: +17 vs. Fortitude
Endurance improve DC 27, maintain DC 22, worsen DC 21 or lower
When the target is under a
" Final State The target is dominated by
charm or fear effect that allows
the brain fluke. The target spends most
a saving throw, the target must
of its time eating to nourish the parasite
instead succeed on two saving
before its spawn bursts from the brain
throws.
two weeks later, killing the host.
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6/18/08 8:06:46 AM
CORMYR
Cormyr is a strong nation that lies at the western end
of the diminished Sea of Fallen Stars. The kingdom
is ancient but remains vigorous. Old forests dominate the landscape and national character. Humans
predominate in Cormyr, and they are justly proud of
their country’s long and noble traditions. The dragon,
the stag, and the unicorn are prominent in Cormyrian folk tales, ballads, and heraldry.
In days of old, the people of this civilized land
carved a domain out of wilder territory through grit,
bravery, and determination. Though the nation has a
reputation for just rule, sometimes Cormyr has had
to make difficult choices to ensure its security. Its
most contested border is that with shadowy Netheril, though Cormyr also borders the hazardous
Stonelands, Tunlands, Storm Horns, and Thunder
Peaks.
Cormyr is protected by two highly skilled and
renowned forces. The Purple Dragons are an elite
army of battle-tested warriors. The War Wizards
include powerful swordmages (see page 236), as
well as other accomplished spellcasters that even the
Netherese respect.
Cormyr Lore
History DC 15: In order to counter Sembia’s
expansionism of the last century, Cormyr reluctantly
grew into an imperial power. The kingdom annexed
KEY INHABITANTS
OF CORMYR
King Foril: About seventy years of age, Foril Obarskyr
has ruled for the last thirty years. He’s not the old lion that
Azoun IV was, nor a great lawmaker like his father Azoun
V, but he is a great strategist, statesman, and administrator. In his youth, he trained with the War Wizards and
the Purple Dragons. Now he leaves the fighting to others,
understanding that he is too important to his country to
act recklessly. Foril is also well aware that he is reaching
the end of his reign.
Crown Prince Irvel: Foril’s son, Irvel Obarskyr, shows
a lot of the old boldness of his famed ancestors, which
could portend interesting times for the country.
Erzoured Obarskyr: Foril’s nephew is a black-hearted
schemer who wants the throne so badly he can taste it.
He plans to do away with Irvel so he can be named the
new crown prince. To that end, he has made several secret
contacts in Sembia, Netheril, and even Thay.
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some Sembian cities, resettled parts of Tilver’s Gap,
and pushed southwest into the Dragon Coast. The
thief-ruled city of Proskur was also brought under
Cormyr’s thumb.
The Obarskyr dynasty has ruled Cormyr for over
1,300 years. Foril, the son of Azoun V, is the current
king.
History DC 20: Forty years ago, under Azoun
V’s reign, Cormyr fought the shades of Netheril and
succeeded in driving them off. Netheril and Cormyr
maintain an uneasy cease-fire to this day.
Near the end of his reign, Azoun V signed the
Suzail Writ, which bound the king by law and gave
free folk inalienable rights—notably trial by jury of
peers. The Writ restricted the nobility and elevated
the common people. Most nobles have accepted the
new status quo, but a few still scheme to gain influence over the throne (or to gain the throne itself ) and
thereby return the noble houses to prominence. King
Foril remains a strong proponent of the Writ.
Streetwise DC 15: Cormyr is a key power in
Faerûn. The nation enjoys a warm alliance with
the fey kingdom of Myth Drannor and the human
Dalelands to the northeast. Together they have acted
to check Netherese expansion and to curtail Sembia’s subversive efforts in the Dalelands. As a result,
Cormyr lies squarely in the sights of the Empire of
Netheril.
Streetwise DC 30: The Shadovar of Netheril
have attempted to infiltrate and conquer Cormyr in
much the same way that they took control of Sembia.
Thus far, Cormyr has managed to avoid that fate. Its
charismatic leaders have been able to discredit muckrakers who were secretly funded by Sembia, and the
royal intelligence apparatus has publicly proven all
such attempts to have been instigated by Netheril. A
healthy fear of all that is shadowy, and the memory
of the destruction of Tilverton, keep Cormyrians on
their guard. One fact is certain: A direct confrontation is building.
Cormyr is a rolling, green, and pleasant land, flanked
by mountains and well fed by its own farms and
ranches.
Suzail
The royal capital and richest city in Cormyr, Suzail is
home to the important nobles and merchant houses
of the country. The city center is the royal palace,
which is surrounded by gardens and the buildings of
the Royal Court. King Foril keeps his residence in the
palace.
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Marsember
Seaport; Population 38,000
Marsember spans a series of islands connected by
bridges and cut with canals. Many of the higher
canals are now planted with crops or allowed to grow
wild for livestock to graze upon. Bridges overhead
permit both farming and urban life to occupy the
same space. Newer facilities nearer the lowered Sea
of Fallen Stars keep alive Marsember’s status as a hub
of trade, though the volume of items moving through
the port is much reduced from a century earlier.
Marsember took longer to recover from the lowering of the Sea of Fallen Stars, and the navy never
returned to that moorage.
Marsember is known as the City of Spices due
to the local merchant companies that specialize in
such wares. These Spice Lords trade in a variety of
flavorings, elixirs, and (it is whispered) even banned
substances—haddrum (see page 171) out of the Raurin
desert, “traveler’s dust” from sources said to lie in
Impiltur, and the like. The Purple Dragons and the
War Wizards constantly seek to disrupt illegal trade
but never seem to be able to stamp it out, possibly
because some among their ranks secretly count the
Spice Lords as allies.
Storm Horns
Mountainous Western Border
The forbidding Storm Horns form a high wall that
separates Cormyr from Netheril to the north and
Najara to the west. It is broken only near High Horn
Pass and Gnoll Pass, which are guarded by Castle
High Horn and Castle Crag, respectively.
Orc and goblin tribes in the mountains occasionally rise up and attack when a charismatic leader stirs
them to action. The orcs especially hate Cormyr, and
recent intelligence suggests that a few of the tribes
might have made secret contact with the Shadovar.
The Storm Horns have two permanent human
settlements, Eagle Peak (caravan stop; population
500) and Skull Crag (mining community; population 1,000). Skull Crag is known for its awe-inspiring
shrine to Kelemvor. The miners here pray to Kelemvor; it is uncertain whether the god listens.
Wheloon
Prison City; Population 3,000
Once known for its vibrant green slate roofs and
ferry trade along the Wyvernflow River, the city has
been transformed into something far darker by royal
CO R M Y R
The Purple Dragons and the War Wizards jointly
occupy an impressive fortresslike barracks in Suzail.
Both constantly drill in the courtyard, using swords,
spells, and special tactics to quell a variety of threats.
The city maintains the realm’s new shipyards
and is home to the royal navy that once docked in
Marsember. Suzail is also known for its inns, taverns,
and festhalls. Coin of every nation is good here, and
the city is thick with diversions and entertaining
experiences. Adventurers and explorers from all over
the continent are always welcome.
Tymora’s temple is the most prominent one in
Suzail. Shrines to Oghma, Tempus, and Waukeen
are also found here. The famous carvers of Suzail buy
exotic ivory from many lands, shape it into new and
decorated forms, and export it at a greatly increased
value.
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decree. The Purple Dragons discovered that a majority of Wheloon’s residents, be they craftsfolk, traders,
or farmers, were also secret worshipers of Shar. Fearing that the entire city was a front for Netherese spies,
the king ordered it walled up with brick and magic,
and all its residents declared lifetime prisoners. Now,
whenever Shadovar spies or sympathizers (as well as
other offenders of the crown) are discovered, they are
put over the wall and left to fend for themselves. Life
as a prisoner in Wheloon is brutal and short, unless
one is able to join one of the many rival gangs.
To “escape from Wheloon” is a euphemism for
accomplishing a difficult task. Those who do so
literally are marked by prisoner and gang tattoos
imprinted while behind the walls. This branding
makes continued life in Cormyr one that requires
constant disguise.
Darkhold: West of Cormyr in the Far Hills is
a high-spired keep rising from a bare rocky spur
on the side of Gray Watcher Mountain. This echoing stronghold was a fortress under the control of
the Zhentarim and remains so to this day, despite
Zhentil Keep’s failed fortunes. Darkhold’s massive
doorways, corridors, and ceilings of black stone were
constructed for giants. Legends variously ascribe the
keep’s construction to the days when giants ruled
Faerûn or to elder elementals serving as slaves for the
kingdom of Netheril.
At present, the citadel houses a force of Zhent mercenaries available for any task, no matter the perfidy
required to undertake it.
Elfmound: Despite its name, this strangely flattopped hill in the King’s Forest has little to do with
elves. Recent excavations indicate that the place is
more likely a ruin of ancient Netheril—a far-flung
watchtower of old, or perhaps a distant safe house
meant to hide away a treasure or bury a danger. Work
ceased when, after uncovering a rune-inscribed shaft,
all the explorers were simultaneously struck with a
death curse. Sometimes crying echoes up from the
darkness; at other times, a soul-shearing scream is
heard.
BELENDITHAS OF THE DUSK
AURGLOROASA AND THE
THUNDER PEAKS
A dracolich named Aurgloroasa lairs in the abandoned
dwarven city of Thunderholme, which lies in the Thunder Peaks. Named for the sudden and devastating storms
that batter them all year, the Thunder Peaks are home to
tribes of orcs and goblins that bear no love for Cormyr,
Sembia, or the Dales.
MARK TEDIN
A shade assassin stalks the countryside and cities of
Cormyr, killing lords and commoners alike. Some say that
Belendithas is an agent of Netheril. Others believe he
has come to Cormyr to flee Shadovar justice. Either way,
Belendithas is a force to fear, if an enemy contracts with
him to take your life. The assassin’s fee is a mere 100 gold
coins—and a newborn human baby. What Belendithas
does with the child is unknown.
Farsea Swamp: This slowly growing mire consists
of two formerly separate marshes, Farsea and Tun.
The ruins of a vanished civilization, not Netherese
as many speculate, rise here and there amid this
sodden and thoroughly unpleasant area. Thick with
poisonous insects and plague, Farsea prevents all but
a few from glimpsing these ruins. Surviving witnesses
describe ornate buildings made of glass as strong
as steel that hint at a magical technology lost to the
present day. Rumors also have it that the bold can
pry gold and strange secrets from the half-drowned
basements, if they brave the swamp’s pestilence and
withstand the might of strange creatures set as guardians within the interior of the vitreous towers.
In the southern swamp, bands of human raiders
not tainted by sickness have created a ragtag bandit
empire that survives by preying on Cormyrian trade.
King’s Forest: This westernmost fragment of
ancient Cormanthor hasn’t seen elves or eladrin in
generations. Its entire area is claimed by Cormyr’s
crown, which keeps the land as a private reserve.
Royal forest guards patrol the woods, clearing squatters and battling occasional orc incursions. Cormyr’s
royalty has been assiduous in denying the forest to
poachers and settlers. Recent tavern talk has it that
the policy is not out of a desire to keep the environment pristine. Instead, it seems the practice has
more to do with an ancient prophecy. An old song,
long thought mere nonsense, speaks of a “Queen of
Thorns” who sleeps beneath the trees, quiescent and
sated, but prone to disturbance. If this queen wakes,
the kingdom of Cormyr would be wiped away—the
prophecy does not explain how or why.
A small community in the King’s Forest called
Dhedluk (population 1,000) is home to farmers and
woodcarvers. Cutting live wood has become a taboo
so strong in the community that it is punished nearly
as severely as murder. Those caught in the act are
hanged on the arch of a defunct portal on the outskirts of Dhedluk.
The Monolith: This strangely angular, black
shape is sometimes visible above the breaking waves
along Cormyr’s coast, but it is never seen in the same
place twice. It appeared around the same time that
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MARK TEDIN
the Abolethic Sovereignty’s city of Xxiphu rose over
the Sea of Fallen Stars. It’s not a great leap of reason
to suspect that the Monolith, with its disquieting
geometry, is a movable watchtower or beachhead of
the aboleths. These rumors have been sufficient to
keep all who view it from investigating. In fact, upon
witnessing it, most ship captains or coast-walkers flee
in the opposite direction.
Stonelands: A band of wide, rocky desolation
between the Storm Horns and Netheril, this region
is inhabited by spellscarred goblins, gnolls, orcs, and
other brigands. For more than a century, Cormyr’s
rulers have offered generous land grants to adventurers willing to tame this area and carve out civilized
holdings.
Tilverton Scar: The city of Tilverton fell to the
Shadovar in the Year of Wild Magic (1372 DR), leaving only a concave space filled with darkness. After
the Spellplague, explorers found the character of
the area further modified. It was marked as the only
known plagueland in Cormyr. Where before only
shadow reigned, a perpetually infalling spiral of darkness and blue fire appeared. Creatures that brave the
edges of the pocket sometimes come away marked
with a spellscar, other times with a flesh-ravaging
disease. All subsequently report nightly dreams of an
awful plaguechanged entity squatting in the Tilverton
Scar’s nadir, fused with earth and shadow equally,
entombed and sustained by the magical infection of
the land.
A small keep built a few hundred yards from
the perimeter of the pocket allows the curious to
scrutinize the dangerous boundary in something
approaching safety.
The Vast Swamp: This region of marsh forms the
border between Cormyr and Sembia—neither country
wishes to claim it, and both disregard the area unless
its monsters wander into their territories. Home to
gnolls, hobgoblins, lizardfolk, and trolls, the wetland
is also known to shelter a few small black dragons, a
mad beholder or two, will-o’-wisps, and yet stranger
creatures. This is probably the deadliest region within
the area. Still, its creatures usually remain in the
moors, and the people of Cormyr have no reason to
enter it, so they are content to ignore it.
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THE DALELANDS
The Dalelands comprises several forested counties, called dales, scattered around the perimeter of
the Cormanthor Forest. Although the dales share
common traditions, cultural practices, and religious
allegiances, the Dalelands is not a unified kingdom
like Cormyr or Impiltur. The broad forest vales, separated by rolling farmlands, are interlinked by narrow
trade roads through lush woods. The dales’ independent spirit and age-old alliance with the fey of
Cormanthor are well known across most of Faerûn.
Dalelands Lore
A character knows the following information about a
given dale with a successful skill check.
History DC 15: Over the last century, the Dalelands has been the focus of powerful surrounding
realms, all vying for control.
Archendale: The Swords, cloaked autocrats that
previously ruled Archendale, were unmasked in the
Year of Azuth’s Woe (1440 DR) and found to be in
Sembia’s pocket. This dale staved off incorporation
into Sembia only by becoming aware of the danger
and making common cause with the remaining free
dales.
Battledale: Alarmed by Featherdale’s bloodless
capitulation to Sembia, Battledale began to restrict
trade and travel with the Netheril puppet state. The
dale came under heavy attack in the Year of the
Advancing Shadows (1422 DR), forcing the evacuation of Essembra.
Daggerdale: Long since free of Zhent influence,
Daggerdale now finds itself an unwilling buffer
against the Empire of Netheril. In recent years, Daggerdale has been increasingly troubled by savage
humanoids from the Desertsmouth Mountains and
lycanthropes from the Dagger Hills.
Deepingdale: Not much has changed in Deepingdale over the last century. It continues to prosper,
despite diminished trade through the Eldreth
Veluuthra-controlled Hullack Forest in the west.
Featherdale: Over the years, Sembian investors
slowly bought up so much of the place that eventually Sembian administrators moved in. As a result,
the Shadovar of Netheril “accidentally conquered”
ELDRETH VELUUTHRA
This militant group of human-despising elves seized control of the Hullack Forest in the Year of the Wrathful Eye
(1391 DR). A brief conflict between Cormyr and the elves
ensued in the Year of Deaths Unmourned (1394 DR), but
King Azoun V soon turned his full attention to more pressing threats from neighboring Netheril and Sembia.
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Featherdale in the Year of the Lords’ Coronation
(1418 DR).
Harrowdale: With aid from Myth Drannor, Harrowdale Town completed work on a defensive wall. In
the Year of the Elfqueen’s Joy (1428 DR), the Seven
Burghers announced a formal alliance with Myth
Drannor and renamed the city New Velar. Soon after,
Myth Drannor established an embassy in New Velar
and began construction on shipyards.
High Dale: Receiving little aid from the then-quiescent Dales Council, High Dale threw in its lot with
Cormyr, deciding that doing so was the best way to
stave off Sembia’s advances. Purple Dragon Knights
of Cormyr moved in to defend the dale in the Year of
the Advancing Shadows (1422 DR).
Mistledale: Ashabenford, the capital, has grown
remarkably over the last century and now serves as
the seat of the Dales Council. This organization has
grown real teeth since Sembia began to conquer
dales. The age-old Dales Compact was reaffirmed
with Myth Drannor in the Year of Seven Sisters
(1425 DR) and the Standing Stone was restored.
This renowned symbol of that agreement had been
destroyed by drow roughly fifty years earlier.
Scardale: Scardale fell to Sembia through a series
of betrayals, sneaky merchant deals, consolidations of
power in tiny steps, and finally, the appearance of a
mercenary army in the capital, Chandlerscross. The
troops slaughtered many Dalelanders and drove out
the rest. The new capital is Scardale Town.
Shadowdale: This dale remains peaceful and
secure, even with the absence of powerful protectors
of old, such as Storm Silverhand. Elminster resides
there still, but his powers have diminished since
Mystra’s fall. The border with the Feywild is weak
along the River Ashaba in Shadowdale. As a result,
a burgeoning population of fey and sylvan creatures
has appeared throughout the land.
Tasseldale: When Sembia was unable to subvert
Tasseldale as bloodlessly and easily as it did Featherdale, mercenaries financed out of Yhaunn overran
the area in the Year of the Dark Goddess (1420 DR).
Requests for aid from Archendale were rebuffed, and
Tasseldale was eventually brought under Sembian
rule.
Streetwise DC 15: Those dales that are not under
the control of a foreign power are closely allied. Moreover, the Dales Council has consolidated its authority
in the aftermath of Sembia’s overt conquests. Most
areas are also on good terms with Myth Drannor,
though the relationship is strained in the case of
Archendale. The Dales are friendly toward Cormyr,
especially High Dale, but Mistledale worries about
Cormyrian expansion through Tilver’s Gap.
The Dalelands is continually troubled by the
unsettled situation in the Moonsea region, the drow
(who plague Battledale, Mistledale, and Shadowdale),
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T H E DA L EL A N DS
and the monstrous infestation of Daggerdale. An
uneasy peace lies over Tasseldale and Featherdale,
but Dalelanders fighting Sembians could provoke a
wider war. And beyond the Desertsmouth Mountains
looms the ominous Empire of Netheril.
Every dale is unique and offers its own wonders and
threats.
HIDDEN HAND OF FATE
For centuries, a small cult of Hoar has dwelled in a temple
fortress shrouded in the depths of the Arch Wood. The
inhabitants of Archendale are known for their short tempers, grudges, arrogance, and love of intrigue—quite a few
Archenfolk worship the Doombringer.
This informal order of bounty hunters and vigilantes,
known as the Hunters of Vengeance, enacts what it
believes to be Torm’s will through the retributive hand
of Hoar. (In truth, Hoar now serves Bane, who is pleased
to let the misconception continue.) Priests of the Hidden
Hand of Fate sponsor a number of troubadors, bounty
hunters, and assassins throughout the Heartlands and
coordinate a loose network of vigilantes dealing rough justice throughout the wilder stretches of the Dalelands.
Archendale
Militaristic Dale; Population 90,000
Known as the unfriendliest and most aggressive of
the dales, Archendale is also the toughest and best
defended. The vigilance of both citizens and soldiers
leaves Archenfolk free to get on with the business of
ABBEY OF THE SWORD
In the last century, during the Time of Troubles (1358 DR),
the god Tempus appeared on the battlefield of Swords
Creek in Mistledale. More recently, the priest Eldan
Ambrose traced the deity’s path and discovered that he
had arrived in Faerûn in the shell of a shattered castle in
Battledale. The priest established the Abbey of the Sword
in a rebuilt portion of the castle.
Priest General Ambrose was slain when a strong force
of Vhaeraunian drow attacked the abbey, coming up
from an unwatched portal in a nearby deep cavern. The
defenders of the Abbey of the Sword repelled the drow
but could not resurrect Ambrose.
Today, the small town of Ambrose (population 3,000)
is filled with hearty folk rich in their worship of the Foehammer. It has grown up around the much expanded
Abbey of the Sword.
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above ground level. Tenements and noble townhouses
alike feature barred windows and hidden inner holds
equipped with arrow slits and nastier defenses.
Though it nearly fell to Sembia’s expansionist desires, Archenbridge maintains trade with its
southern neighbor—trade that fuels the city’s thriving
markets, merchant houses, and far-flung concerns.
As a result of the removal of the three autocratic
Swords from rulership nearly forty years earlier,
Archenbridge now tempers its greed for trade with a
significant concern for defense.
Battledale
ZHENT HEADLESS HORSEMAN
Terrified Dalesfolk describe seeing the Zhent Headless
Horseman galloping through forest crossings and night
mists. The Horseman (actually a lich), wearing the colors
and regalia of the overthrown Zhentarim, is a haunting
and literal reminder of the Black Network’s previous
power in the northern dales. The Horseman rides the
twisted forest paths at full speed, trailing mist and mad
laughter in his wake. Attempts to waylay the apparition
have failed—the bodies of would-be heroes are discovered
when the mists clear, sans heads.
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THE FALL OF STARS
New Velar is home to the Stellar Fellowship, a famous
society of adventurers, and its club the Fall of Stars, which
serves as a rooming house, restaurant, and tavern. The
club looks like the row of quietly luxurious old houses it
once was. Behind that facade, a huge feasting hall occupies the space that used to be stables, coach houses, and
alleys.
Wounded adventurers who have had the forethought
to join the Stellar Fellowship find this club to be a timely
godsend and a shrewd investment. The Fellowship’s stock
of potions, antidotes, and medicines is dispensed freely
to injured members in need.
Guests not in such dire straits can enjoy the famed
social opportunities of the club—meeting fellow adventurers, talking business, hearing the latest rumors, and
exploring hiring opportunities.
DREW BAKER
growing wealthy through trade—something they have
always done very well.
Archendale fills the long, narrow valley of Arkhen
Vale. It surrounds the gorge cut by the swift, cold
River Arkhen. The valley flanks the gorge and
spreads out a day’s ride in all directions from the
dale’s preeminent community, Archenbridge.
Archenbridge (population 8,000) is the Dalelands’
most fortified city. Its center is as cramped and as
bustling as a ward of a much more populous city.
Wagons rumble up and down cobbled streets at all
hours, and every building rises at least three floors
Tranquil Dale; Population 30,000
Despite its impressive name, Battledale is today a
guarded but peaceful land. The dale earned its name
centuries ago from a long history of bloody warfare
among greater powers hailing from the Vast (now
Vesperin) across the Dragon Reach to the east.
Large in size, it is one of the least populous and
most dispersed of the Dalelands. Visitors to Battledale see only the open, rolling farmlands along
Rauthauvyr’s Road, referred to by Dalesfolk all over
as “the Belt.” In summer this is marvelous country to
camp in, although one should beware of brigands and
the occasional Eldreth Veluuthra hunting party from
the Tangled Trees.
Deep within the thick woods of Battledale lies the
ghost town of Essembra, a long lane of abandoned
and fire-ruined cottages rotting on both sides of
Rauthauvyr’s Road. Nearly sixty years ago, Essembra
was the site of a fierce battle between forces from
Myth Drannor and Netherese-backed Sembia. Fell
magic was unleashed in the ensuing conflict, prompting local Battledarrans to abandon their homes and
seek refuge at the Abbey of the Sword.
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Nightmarish Dale; Population 15,000
Most of Daggerdale is rolling wooded hills broken by
labyrinthine rocky valleys. It’s good grazing country
for livestock, but large ranches are confined to the
region around Dagger Falls. That name applies both
to the steep waterfall and to a nearby frontier town
(population 2,000).
The Desertsmouth Mountains tower over the
hills of Daggerdale. A great dwarven kingdom called
Tethyamar once occupied the Desertsmouths. Several
hundred years ago, it fell to orcs, ogres, evil wizards,
and fiends—some of which still lurk in the peaks.
Many adventuring companies based in Daggerdale
seek Tethyamar ruins in the western mountains.
A century ago, Daggerdale was ruled by Zhentarim agents, but that occupation is a distant memory
today. Daggerdale has been increasingly troubled by
humanoids raiding out of the Desertsmouth Mountains and by a resurgence of lycanthropes infesting
the crags of the Dagger Hills. As a result, the frightened villagers of Dagger Falls have become isolated
and cut off from the other dales.
Deepingdale
Welcoming Dale; Regional Population 50,000
This dale is situated along the contested route
between Cormyr and Sembia. Deepingdale comprises the lands around the rivers Glaemril and
Wineflow. Both of them flow swift and strong, and
have abundant salmon runs that nourish forest creatures as well as the people of Highmoon (population
8,000), Deepingdale’s capital city.
More than any other dale, Deepingdale is woven
into and around Cormanthor. The Deepingfolk, half
of which are elven or half-elven in ancestry, live in
the shadow of the trees and in the lighter growth at
the outskirts of the great forest.
Featherdale
Sembian Dale; Population 18,000
Featherdale isn’t technically a dale, since it is not a
valley. Its rich farming lands fall within the sweep of
THE DANCING PLACE
Just a few miles north and west of Highcastle, this valley
is preserved as a sacred garden by priests of Mielikki,
Oghma, Selûne, and Silvanus. More than a dozen deities
manifested here in the Year of the Dawn Rose (720 DR)
to inspire the founding of the now-defunct Harpers. Elves
and eladrin still come to the Dancing Place as pilgrims,
though the agreements they made with their gods prevent them from staying long. Some say it was agreements
originating in the Dancing Place that allowed Cormyr to
bring High Dale under its protective wing.
the River Ashaba as it flows east toward the Sea of
Fallen Stars. The lowlands of the Ashaba are a patchwork of gently rolling farms. Waist-high fieldstone
walls and rather haphazard lines of evergreenplanted levees guard against flooding.
Featherdale is truly the pastoral farming country
that many Sembians imagine the Dalelands to be.
Thus, despite being under Sembian control, the Shadovar puppet state pays little mind to this stretch of
road between regions of far greater significance.
Unlike other Dalesfolk, Featherdarrans have little
to do with Myth Drannor. This traditional separation
has become even more pronounced with the influx
of Sembian merchants, who collect taxes and enforce
their trade policies on farmers by means of well-paid
mercenaries.
Harrowdale
Oldest Dale; Population 44,000
Harrowdale borders Cormanthor to the west, the
Dragon Reach to the east, and the Cold Field to the
south. The dale is mostly farmlands, which turn to
orchards closer to the sea and to the Velarswood at its
center.
The countryside has changed little over the last
century, though the former small seaside village of
Harrowdale Town has grown into the rich mercantile
port of New Velar (population 9,000). The renamed
city is the largest free settlement in the Dalelands
(now that Scardale has fallen to Sembia) and claims
the best port into the area. Goods from all across the
Sea of Fallen Stars flow through New Velar on their
way to and from Myth Drannor along the Harrow
Ride (the old Halfaxe Trail, now a well-guarded,
paved road through the old Elven Court). This robust
trade accounts for the great wealth of the city.
Greater Harrowdale and its capital city are ruled
by its wealthiest merchants, the Council of Seven
Burghers. A Burgher holds his or her position for
life, and upon a death in the Council, the Harrans
appoint the wealthiest non-Burgher to fill the seat.
High Dale
Cormyrian Dale; Population 15,000
High Dale is tucked just below the main section of
the Thunder Peaks and just north of the mountainous
splinter that runs along the Vast Swamp to the west.
The main area of High Dale is a high plateau suitable
for farming. Its people also farm the mountainsides
by carving terraces into their slopes.
High Dale is known for crisp air, splendid views of
the Thunder Peaks, and hardy shepherds, small farmers, craftsfolk, and stonecutters. Scattered among the
native dwellings stand stone watchtowers garrisoned
by Cormyrian forces—High Dale gives its allegiance
to Cormyr, the only force that aided the Dalelanders
when Sembian militants threatened attack.
Daggerdale
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High Dale’s pass has three hidden valleys branching off to its sides: Copper Gulp, the Dancing Place,
and Hidden Vale.
Mistledale
Ruling Dale; Population 34,000
Mistledale occupies the valley along both sides of the
Moonsea Ride, east of Peldan’s Helm and west of the
spot where the forest closes in roughly three miles
before the Standing Stone. The River Ashaba cuts
across the center of the dale, crossed by the Ride at
the excellent natural ford at Ashabenford (population
5,000), whose population has exploded over the last
several decades.
Mistledale is a widely spread dale. Its small settlements can see each other and Ashabenford across
the gently rolling hills, except in the mornings and
the evenings, when mist rises from the river and fills
the valley. For communication across the dale, each
hamlet is equipped with special bells whose peals
penetrate the fog. By varying the rings, the bell-ringers carry different messages of alarm or inquiry. The
sounds are understood by long-term residents of the
dale but are a mystery to outsiders.
Scardale
Scardale’s three significant geographical features
are the River Ashaba, which runs through the dale
from west to east; the Sea of Fallen Stars at the river’s
mouth; and the great gorge named the Scar, which
gives the dale its name. According to legend, this
high-sided ravine is the result of an errant blow from
the sword of Corellon during his struggle against
Gruumsh (see page 74).
Sembia owns Scardale, and the center of that
control is Scardale Town (population 20,000). Like
Sembia, Scardale is subject to Netherese rule. Still,
the dark hands of the Shadovar lie lightly here.
Scardale has long been a naturally contentious and
unruly place. Scarlet ships out of Thay sometimes put
in at Scardale Town harbor without comment by the
authorities.
Shadowdale
Fey Dale; Population 10,000
Shadowdale is a broad tract of rolling hills and thick
forest with patches of cleared and settled land. The
unwalled village of Shadowdale (population 1,000)
and the looming presence of the white granite
promontory called Old Skull dominate the forested
area where the North Ride and the River Ashaba
cross.
Today the woods of Shadowdale are quite
changed from centuries past. The Living Wood, as
it is once again known, is peopled by all manner
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of benevolent fey. Led to the dale by retired Lord
Azalar Falconhand, the fey congregate near the
Ashaba because of the unusual concentration of
geomagical energy along its banks.
Just outside Shadowdale’s town limits, north of
the old Silverhand farm, are a series of standing
stones surrounding a copse of ancient trees. This is
the Druid’s Grove, a place that visibly exudes great
primal power and is particularly sacred to the fey.
Shadowdale is currently ruled by Lady Addee
Ulphor, who gained the Pendant of Ashaba twenty
years ago when Azalar Falconhand resigned his
lordship.
Tarkhaldale (Lost Dale)
Netherese Dale; Population 10,000
In ancient times, Tarkhaldale was a flourishing
mining and farming community, trading with the
dwarves of the Desertsmouth Mountains and the
human realms of Asram and Hlondath. After the
spread of the Great Desert of Anauroch and the
destruction of the dwarven mines at Tethyamar,
Tarkhaldale was abandoned, left to the orc and goblin
tribes of the region. Among the few who remained
aware of the land, it became known as the Lost Dale.
In the Year of the Turret (1360 DR), a lizardlike
race of humanoids named saurials arrived in the
dale, enslaved and carried from their home dimension by the lost god Moander. The saurials broke free
and enjoyed decades of peace, carving a home for
themselves in the forested hills of the Lost Dale.
Today, Tarkhaldale is once again peopled by
human settlers. The Empire of Netheril uncovered
the hidden saurial villages of Tarkhaldan and drove
its inhabitants underground. Few outside Netheril
know of the vale’s existence.
Tasseldale
Tasseldale sits north and east of the Arch Wood,
southwest of Featherdale, and just barely north of
Sembia. The dale is largely flat, open land, perfect
for farming. Yevenwood to the north provides fur,
timber, and hunting for Tassadrans who can’t bear to
work the loom or plow.
The craftsfolk and tradesfolk of this dale are
heavily taxed by Sembian merchant overlords. Long
thought immune to Sembia’s imperialistic ambitions,
Tasseldale learned to its woe that Sembia had no
qualms about annexing it, just as it long ago overran
the long-vanished Moondale (later renamed Ordulin).
Unlike in Featherdale, the Tassadrans resisted the
occupation, led by their charismatic leader Grand
Mairshar Erich Inshiland. The locals fought bravely
and blood was spilled, but in the end, Sembia (and
thus Netheril) gained control. Together with Scardale,
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this area constitutes a restless northern borderland
for Sembia, because the Dalelanders who still live
here don’t care to be governed by outsiders.
STEVE ELLIS
The Cold Fields: South of Harrowdale and north
of Scardale, this treeless moor is haunted by the
spirits of warriors who fell in dozens of battles. In
summertime, shepherds graze their sheep along the
high grass. The livestock cares little about the spirits sleeping restlessly in unmarked graves beneath
the hills, but the shepherds keep a sharp eye out. In
winter, only fools venture into the Cold Fields.
Dagger Hills: Filled with dense thickets and
thorn fields, the Dagger Hills feature labyrinthine
valleys broken by rocky crags and tors. Traditionally
the haunts of bandits, wolves, and owlbears, today
the hills are filled with murderous lycanthropes and
their thralls. Large settlements and steadings are not
found here. Rather, folk huddle in small stockaded
villages and farms within running distance of the
walls, scratching out a meager living in this perilous
land.
Darkwatch: North of the River Glaemril—
deep enough in the forest that only fey have good
cause to stumble upon it—lies a long, dark rift in
the forest floor marked by blackened and twisted
trees. The rift was (and might still be) the prison of
an enormously evil power of decay and corruption.
The identities of the prisoners, if any still exist, are
unknown, for none have dared descend into the
unnatural darkness between the rift’s steep sides.
What’s certain is that the rift is a nexus for evil spirits
and dark gods. Madness infects forest creatures and
magical beasts that stray into the area, sometimes
driving them into a killing frenzy. Priests of Cyric,
the Prince of Lies, relish the energy swirling around
the rift. They visit the Darkwatch as a sort of unholy
invigoration, though none stay for long.
Glaun Bog: This little-known marshland nestled
between Tasseldale and Deepingdale is host to several tribes of lizardfolk.
Old Skull: This bleached stone headland once
served as a doorway through which Underdark drow
made their way to the surface and controlled the
surrounding area in Shadowdale. Old Skull’s depths
descend to the Underdark. For a while, Elminster’s
power kept the drow bottled up. Since the Spellplague and Elminster’s diminishment, the drow are
whispered to be once again wending their way up
the narrow stairs. Likewise, adventurers sometimes
descend past the old volcanic dome. Some return;
others are lost forever in the dark lands beneath.
ELMINSTER
“Ye can call me Elminster, ’tis true. Once upon a time I was
called the Old Sage, though others had other, less flattering names for me. And mayhap I earned them. Though I’ve
walked these realms for millennia, of late I grow tired. Ye
might be the same, or worse, were ye standing in my boots.
The things I’ve seen . . . By vanished Mystra, some images I
wish I could wipe away. I’ve said before I am far from the
oldest, wisest, or mightiest being to walk Faerûn. No one was
more surprised than me to learn I did not lie. Run along now,
will ye? Leave me to my peace.”
The wizard Elminster Aumar, once one of the most powerful individuals in all Faerûn, lost much with Mystra’s death
and the lapse of all abilities associated with being her
Chosen. He remains in Shadowdale, much diminished,
though he retains his immortality and considerable arcane
power. The Old Sage is no less intelligent, experienced,
and quick-witted than before. Though his advice remains
highly sought after, he has grown even more averse to
dispensing it. Elminster resides at the old Silverhand
farm, passing the days lost in his thoughts, his trademark
pipe in hand.
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6/18/08 8:06:57 AM
DAMARA
Damara is wild, rugged, and rustic—a frontier as
unrefined as it is remote. This is a northerly land
of windswept plains, ice-crowned mountains, dark
pine forests, and long, fearsome winters. Any who
stray too far from the walled towns end up fighting
for their lives against horrible monsters. Adventurers
are drawn to Damara to carve out lands of their own,
taking on lordship and inventing titles for themselves.
Damara Lore
History DC 20: About twenty years ago, the last
heir to the old Dragonsbane dynasty was assassinated
and the ambitious Lord Yarin Frostmantle took the
throne. King Yarin’s hand in the death of his predecessor is an open secret in Damara. Stronger and
wealthier than anyone else, Yarin is absolutely ruthless
in crushing those who dare question his legitimacy.
Streetwise DC 15: In Helgabal (formerly
Heliogabalus), the despotic King Yarin Frostmantle
clings to power, heedless of the threats gathering
around his land.
While Damara’s people groan under tyrannical
rule, deadly perils loom on all fronts. To the west, the
Warlock Knights of Vaasa grow stronger and threaten
war. To the north, the receding Great Glacier has
uncovered passages to the monster-infested Frostfell
at the top of the world. Deadly creatures completely
new to Faerûn haunt the northern marches. To the
east, the demon-haunted Dunwood (formerly known
as the Rawlinswood) grows darker and more deadly
every day. All the while, feral tribesfolk from Narfell
engage in ever bolder raids.
Settlements and
Features
Hardy adventurers can find plenty of opportunities
in Damara’s monster-infested mountains and winterblasted lands.
Helgabal
This once-prosperous trading city is the former
seat of Damara’s throne. Merchants traveling north
now think twice before venturing into the frontier
domain, given the despotic control of its temperamental monarch.
Damaran Gate
Choke Point between Damara and Vaasa
This fortress wall guards the end of Bloodstone Pass
between Damara and the Warlock Knights of Vaasa.
The Damaran Gate is 3 miles long and 30 feet high,
studded with ballista-defended towers, and flanked
by castles at either end. The castles and gate are regularly patrolled and filled with stockpiles of food and
armaments in case of an invasion.
The Breath of Winter: A creature of ice stalks
Damara, seeking groups or lone creatures to steal
their heat. It leaves only frozen husks that are found
months or years later. The nature of the Breath of
Winter is hotly debated inside Damara’s walled cities
and vassal keeps—is it a white dragon, some sort of
undead, a sentient blizzard? One tale posits a giant
carved of ice, wearing crystalline armor, whose
breath neutralizes all heat.
Castle Dunraven: This old ruin has the reputation of being haunted by a green-glowing woman
in knight’s armor. The haunt sometimes appears to
those lost in driving snowstorms and leads them to
the shelter of the castle. Survivors of Castle Dunraven, however, speak of a bottomless pool of dark
water that claims any who seek to drink from its
unfrozen surface.
THE DESPOT OF DAMARA
King Yarin understands that the Warlock Knights are a
real threat. He relies on the strongholds and war bands of
upstart vassal lords—many of them former adventurers—
to defend the passes of the Galena Mountains. Yarin
reserves his own cadre of foreign mercenaries to crush
any subordinates who show signs of moving against him.
Sooner or later Yarin will depose a lord whose forces are
integral to Damara’s defense, inviting real catastrophe to
his besieged kingdom.
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6/18/08 8:06:58 AM
Dambrath is a hot plain dominated by horse-riding,
nomadic humans related to the Nars of northeastern Faerûn. Some Dambrathan clans are bellicose
and insular, raiding nearby lands. Others are less
aggressive and more accepting of outsiders. The clans
don’t war on one another, except in highly ritualized
honor-duels or minor raids for resources and sport.
At one time all Dambrathans were slaves, so they still
see themselves as united against a hostile world.
Dambrath Lore
History DC 15: Half-blood drow known as
Crinti formerly ruled Dambrath under a state religion dedicated to Loviatar. Native Dambrathans,
who call themselves Arkaiuns, rebelled during the
Spellplague. Turning to their totems and nature
spirits, they drove the half-bloods from their lands
and burned every priest of Loviatar they could catch.
Surviving overlords fled to T’lindhet, a drow enclave
under the Gnollwatch Mountains, but the city proved
no refuge. The drow offered a cold and deadly
welcome, thinking little of the newcomers’ mixed
heritage and devotion to a foreign goddess.
Nature DC 20: Dambrathan clans revere
Silvanus and his exarch Malar, and occasionally worship Selûne. Through this devotion, they have come
to embrace lycanthropy. The blood of shapeshifters
flows in many a Dambrathan’s veins. Through totems
and primal magic, even some who lack such heritage
take on animal shapes when danger threatens.
Dambrath’s open plains support nomad camps.
Hills of the Kings
each clan updates its totem to record past events and
future intentions. Dambrathans can identify a totem’s
clan and read the history recorded on the sculpture.
Purl
Pirate Port; Population 800
On the peninsula between the Bay of Dancing Dolphins and the Great Sea, the lawless town of Purl still
stands. Lack of Crinti rule spared it the fires of rebellion, and the nomads sometimes come here to trade.
D A M B R AT H
DAMBRATH
Gate of Iron Fangs: A ruined city lies on the south
side of the Forest of Amtar astride the River Dambron. Its name comes from a tower-flanked gate that
resembles serpent fangs. Dambrathans, along with the
elves and halflings of Amtar, avoid this place.
The city is the domain of the Quinix tribe of
gnolls, a particularly savage clan that believes its
members are the favored of Yeenoghu. The tribe
shares its name with its ruler, a glabrezu demon that
came to the city through an erratically functioning
portal to the Abyss. That portal is now closed.
Taboo Lands: As the Crinti were driven out,
Dambrathans put their decadent cities to the torch
and sealed the underground road to T’lindhet. The
Dambrathans avoid the ruins for various reasons,
leaving them to outlaws, outsiders, and monsters,
such as savage gnolls from the Gnollwatch Mountains. Dambrathans guard and bar entry only to the
former port city of Maarlith, which seems to be the
source of a virulent disease that slays in one day.
Dambrathans call the remains of Cathyr “the
Corpse of Lolth” because of a spider-shaped temple
that squats amid the ruins. When the Dambrathan
uprising began, the priestesses closed the temple
doors and began dark rites. To this day, the ruins of
Cathyr are home to monstrous spiders of all sorts, as
well as demons. Rumors speak of worse horrors and
great treasures that wait within the brooding temple.
Sacred Site
Meandering streams crisscross
these grass-covered hills. In the east,
halfling villages thrive by trading.
The hills also house the tombs of
eight Dambrathan kings. Some of
the tombs were looted during Crinti
rule, but others remain hidden.
Dambrathans view the hills as
sacred. On the southern side, the
nomadic tribes meet twice a year
to trade, socialize, and intermarry,
often making or breaking pacts.
Over a hundred totem sculptures
mark the meeting place. Each work
of art signifies a particular clan, and
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6/18/08 8:07:00 AM
DRAGON COAST
The Dragon Coast is a collection of independent citystates along the southwest coast of the Sea of Fallen
Stars, ranging from Proskur in the west to Starmantle
in the east. The region is lawless and piratical—
commerce is king, and graft is queen. The area is
also a cultural hot spot. As the western termini of the
sea routes leading to the Golden Way—a continental
trade route from Thesk all the way to Shou Lung (see
“Eastern Lands,” page 143)—Westgate and Teziir have
grown large and prominent Shou-towns much like
those in eastern trade cities. An entire nation of Shou
formed even farther west: Nathlan. All manner of
eastern wizards, monks, spirits, and even living Shou
deities (or so it is claimed) can be found in the region.
Dragon Coast Lore
History DC 15: The receding waters of the Sea
of Fallen Stars spelled ruin for Ilipur and Pros; those
small trading towns dried up and blew away. Proskur
has fallen under Cormyrian dominion, and Purple
Dragon lords now hold sway over most of the southwest coast of the Dragonmere. Teziir is likewise a
protectorate of Cormyr, but Westgate rebuffed both
Cormyr and its rival Sembia.
Streetwise DC 20: Westgate is the most wellknown city along the Dragon Coast. The city proved
too large and powerful to be drawn into the orbit of
either Cormyr or Sembia. A shadowy group known as
the Fire Knives has a strong presence there.
Settlements and
Features
Dragons, dungeons, and ruined cities abound along
the Dragon Coast. An adventurer who can’t find an
opportunity or item here isn’t looking hard enough.
Gulthandor
Wilderness Realm; Population 7,000
Gulthandorans respect the sky and the wilderness;
they look to nature for inspiration and power. Natives
revere all trees, especially groves of cedar and pine.
They admire limpid pools, flowing rivers, and the
nearby sea. They believe the isolated hilltops that rise
above the forest canopy are holy places.
The forested realm of Gulthandor is controlled by
a circle of druids who meet in Cedarspoke. The circle
never numbers more than thirty-three, and its members change with the seasons.
Humans, elves, and half-elves are the dominant
humanoid residents of the region, though natural
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forest creatures of every type, as well as awakened
trees, satyrs, and Feywild visitors, are common.
Nathlan
Feudal Shou State; Population 18,000
The County of Nathlan (capital Nathlekh City) runs
along the shores of the Long Arm. It is a small feudal
state inhabited chiefly by several strong Shou clans.
Towns such as Westgate and Telflamm feature large
Shou-dominated districts, but some clans savor
independence.
A Shou clan shares a common surname, a mutual
ancestor, and an ancestral village far to the east. A
few clans wield far greater power than the others.
One such is Clan Neng. It was once a “consort clan,” a
group whose close ties to the Shou emperor garnered
it special privileges and power. When representatives
of Clan Neng and its allies reached the western end
of the Golden Way hundreds of years ago, they settled
in Nathlekh City. In the intervening years, the city
garnered more and more Shou settlers until this onetime “City of Cats” became predominantly Shou, and
grew to govern the larger region now called Nathlan.
Although friendly to trade, Nathlan is suspicious
of non-Shou, particularly nonhumans. None but Shou
are allowed to live permanently in Nathlan, and visitors are restricted to a special section of Nathlekh
City.
Westgate
City Built on Trade; Population 40,000
Westgate is the major trading city on the Sea of Fallen
Stars. It is an open city—open to all races, all faiths,
and all coin. Westgate is the one coastal city that has
never suffered from the far-ranging aboleths of Xxiphu—it’s whispered that some horrible deal was made
to insure such immunity.
The vampiric Night Masks thieves’ guild was
driven out long ago. A new syndicate, the Fire Knives,
now employs the majority of the assassins, extortionists, enforcers, and spies in Westgate. House Bleth
controls the Fire Knives, and the head of that family,
Jaundamicar Bleth, is the First Lord of the city. The
Bleths are hard at work transforming Westgate from
an oligarchy back to a monarchy. Jaundamicar would
prefer to change his title from First Lord to King.
The Fire Knives are opposed by a group out of
Westgate’s growing Shou District—the Nine Golden
Swords. The Swords claims to be an organization
of the people, though its roots in the criminal organization of the same name in Telflamm make this
statement dubious. Still, the Nine Golden Swords in
Westgate has publicly opposed the Fire Knives’ worst
affronts against those too weak to defend themselves.
Consequently, the group, criminal or not, enjoys the
popularity of the working class.
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D R AG O N COA S T
Giant’s Run Mountains: The high places in these
mountains are hollowed to admit the towering forms
of their residents. The peaks are carved in great steps
suitable only for massive treads. The giants have
answered to the same monarch for the last fifteen
hundred years: Dodkong, an undead stone giant
whose seat of power lies in Cairnheim. The undead
king reanimates each clan chieftain who dies, forming the Dodforer, a council of “Death Chiefs” who
serve him.
Cairnheim is a city of tunnels and caverns. The
city’s lower depths open directly into the Underdark,
though the giants impose hefty tolls to restrict surface
access for creatures of Faerûn’s lightless underbelly.
KRAKEN HUNTERS
Westgate enjoys protected status for its harbor districts
against the monstrous servitors of the Abolethic Sovereignty, but its ships are not so blessed. As a result, a
thriving business for freelance “kraken hunters” exists
in the city. Anyone interested in safeguarding a shipping
lane or a cargo can hire on a group of doughty, spearwielding individuals from any of a number of agencies on
the waterfront. Kraken hunters boast such colorful names
as Aboleth Slayers or Yu Kai’s Kraken Exterminators but
know the odds of being attacked by unfettered krakens
en route across the Sea of Fallen Stars are quite low. Most
collect their fee without having to work for it.
At least one kraken hunter could be legitimate, though.
Sashara Keenspear, a female genasi, wields a runeinscribed and glowing spear 30 feet long.
Ruins of Starmantle: This city was destroyed
in the Spellplague. The few who survived say that a
wave of blue fire erupted from a portal, boiling outward until the entire city was engulfed. When the
chaos subsided, all was different. A gyre of light and
confusion hangs above the ruins like a low-hanging
storm cloud. Within are strange green crystal spires
humming atonal melodies, deep pits harboring
suspicious blue glows, and slowly moving masses of
obsidian. Treasures might lie sealed below the landscape, in the vaults of long-dead merchant lords.
True Lair of Kisonraathiisar: The dragon Kisonraathiisar, slain by Saldrinar of the Seven Spells in
the Year of the Bold Poachers (–349 DR), had a fantastic hoard. In fact, the dragon’s slayer might have
rebuilt and expanded Westgate using treasure gathered from the lair. A party of tomb raiders recently
appeared in Westgate with all manner of gold and
jewels, claiming to have taken them from “Kisonraathiisar’s true lair” somewhere to the west. They
spoke of living spells as tomb guardians, a spectral
dragon, and other traps that prevented them from
reaching the inmost chamber. Even so, they were
happy with their haul from the outer regions. This
group, which goes by the name of the Dragonlords of
Westgate, has offered to sell its map of the true lair to
anyone who pays a substantial fee up front and promises the Dragonlords a 50 percent cut of any treasure
retrieved. So far, none have taken the Dragonlords up
on the offer.
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6/18/08 8:07:03 AM
DURPAR
Durpar is better known for its former glory than
its current reach. No nation in western or northern
Faerûn has seen a ship flying Durpari colors for a
decade or more. Reports of destroyed cities have
fueled rumors in the north of Durpar’s final dissolution. Other tales suggest that trade yet exists between
what remains of Durpar and the realm of High
Imaskar.
Durpar Lore
History DC 20: Bold, monstrous armies from the
Beastlands and surrounding mountains, along with
the lack of a strong military, cost Durpar most of its
cities. The drowning of Luiren and Var the Golden
in the Spellplague cost it allies, and fluctuating sea
levels cost it trade routes. The shifting climate further
fueled anxiety.
The prominent Datharathi chaka (merchant
house) proposed a consolidation of power and alliance with the Iron Eye goblins from the Curna
Mountains. Despite the Adama, the strict Durpari
code of honesty and personal conduct (see “Estagund
Lore,” page 128), several chakas broke with the
proposed compact. The resulting Merchant Wars of
Durpar ended with the Datharathi on top.
Streetwise DC 20: Durpar is a frontier region.
Most of its lands are menaced by monsters from the
Beastlands, marauders from the mountains, and roving
PLANGENTS
Plangent crystal is a magically animate, violet-hued
mineral. Some people replace their natural limbs with
this crystal and are known as plangents. A typical plangent dresses elegantly, most often in colors and styles to
complement his or her delicate traceries and prosthetics
of plangent crystal.
According to the claims made by House Datharathi,
which controls all access to the requisite crystal, becoming a plangent is more than fashion. It is an advancement.
The fact that all Datharathi “take the crystal” is seen as
an argument for their position.
The true nature of the crystal is debated, and some suspect that it is worse than merely unnatural. A century ago,
the exotic mineral was mined only from Adama’s Tooth.
Now the crystal is being extracted from other quarries
under Datharathi control. How the Datharathi find and
mine the crystal is a tightly guarded secret even within
the merchant house.
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brigands. Humans, halflings, kenkus, and other races
inhabit Vaelan, Assur, or scattered keeps controlled
by independent sovereigns and petty princes. Others
live hand to mouth as desperate wanderers.
Only the Durpari capital, Vaelan, retains a glimmer of its former strength. Since the ascendancy of
the Datharathis, Vaelan has existed in relative (and
unusual) peace.
House Datharathi keeps its coffers stuffed by
taxing the other chakas’ right to trade with Delzimmer, Estagund, and High Imaskar. The ruling house
also maintains a standing army, which includes bugbears, hobgoblins, and goblins that were integrated
during the Merchant Wars. The Datharathis and the
wealthy of Vaelan are also known for their magical
technology of body enhancement, using plangent
crystal.
Settlements and
Features
Durpar’s remaining walled settlements are as much
prisons as they are dwellings.
Assur
Port Town; Population 5,000
Destroyed by giants out of the Beastlands, Assur was
uninhabited for decades. After the Merchant Wars,
Assur was rebuilt more as a military and naval station
than a true city.
Assur still has a bustling market and enjoys a
naturally deep harbor. It also sports a stout wall and a
large garrison of human, halfling, and goblin soldiers.
These warriors defend the town and patrol the roads
and farmland between Assur and Vaelan.
6/18/08 8:07:05 AM
strong ties with Vaelan and the Datharathi chaka.
The hobgoblin Jargaat, King of the Iron Eyes, is also a
Beast Lord (see “The Beastlands,” page 96). DatharaVaelan, the original crown jewel of Durpar’s trading
this knew this to be true from the beginning of their
empire, remains the last bastion of Durpari culture
alliance with the Iron Eye.
in the region. Dominating its skyline is a central disThe return of the fomorian kingdom Nacmoran
trict of over a hundred pale, slender towers that serve
(page
129), once dominant over the Iron Eyes, might
as the homes of chaka members deferential to House
check
the climb of the mighty goblin tribe. It remains
Datharathi.
to
be
seen
how the Beast Lords react to Nacmoran.
The tower district—a complex of white-plastered
Will
they protect their existing ally, or bide
walls, balconies, stairs, galleries, promenades, and
their
time to see if a more powerful evil
open courts—is surrounded by the city proper. Wide
force
rises in the Curnas?
streets separate one piece of the mazelike complex
Old
Vaelan: The current city of
from the next, and high bridges arch overhead to
Vaelan
is not the original. The first
connect rooftop gardens. Vaelan maintains all the
city
to
possess the name was overrun
grandeur of a wealthy Durnearly
500 years ago. Today, Old
pari trading city.
Vaelan
is nothing but a series of
Even so, Vaelan’s citizens
grassy
knolls
and scattered piles
are reminded daily of their
of
stone
rubble.
Beneath the hills,
precarious position. Goblin
a
huge
complex
serves as a lair
soldiers and citizens—long
for
a
sizable
population
of lycanincluded in the fabric of the
thropes
and
undead.
These
city, but rough, inhuman, and
creatures answer to the vampire
(to the Durpari) all too privilord Saed, who is prime among
leged—serve as a reminder of
the Beast Lords. Saed directs
how far Durpar has fallen.
his forces to disrupt trade
through the region, espePlots and
cially that from Estagund.
Adventure Sites
House Datharathi has
Adama’s Tooth: Adama’s Tooth is a
a price on the vampire’s
nearly vertical natural monolith located on
head that grows each year.
a small peninsula of the same name near
The chaka still claims Old
the Raurin Gap between the Dustwalls
Vaelan as Durpari territory,
and the Giant’s Belt Mountains. It
but that assertion is more
rises at least 2,000 feet above
for show than fact. Durpar’s
the meandering coastline of
rulers secretly have an agreethe Golden Water. Accordment with Saed, paying him
ing to some, the spire isn’t
tribute in money, goods, and
natural but an artificial strucslaves. Saed distributes a portion
ture raised by ancient Imaskari
of this wealth to his allies, and the
A plangent
wizards.
vampire’s long-term view has earned them
Nearly a century ago, long before its rise
all more than merely crushing Durpar ever
to rulership in Durpar, House Datharathi controlled
could have. Through Saed, most Beast Lords now conthe Tooth and mined below it from its enclave in the
sider Durpari holdings to be part of the Beastlands
now-lost city of Huorm. The miners’ discovery of a
and instead eye Estagund. Durpar’s citizens are none
great magic seal buried at the Tooth’s root unleashed
the wiser.
some sort of curse that killed many. Only a few
The Datharathi play a dangerous game by encourDatharathi scions and servants escaped. Since that
aging adventurers to attack Beastlands holdings.
day, a cloud of darkness has hung over the Tooth like
Through the Datharathi, Saed indirectly manipulates
a warning f lag.
such “heroes” to eliminate rivals and upstarts. SucHouse Datharathi never returned to the mine, and
cessful adventurers remove threats to Durpar and
it now guards the site against all outsiders. Rumors
Saed; those who fail die, preventing them from evenpersist of great mineral wealth, ancient magic, and an
tually finding out the truth.
evil of elder days haunting the dark shafts and corriThe kingdom of Nacmoran is a wild card in this
dors riddling Adama’s Tooth.
situation. With no ties to the Beastlands, the fomoriIron Eye Tribe: Goblins of the mixed Iron Eye
ans pose a threat to Durpar and its “allies.”
tribe from the Curna Mountains of Estagund have
D U R PA R
Vaelan
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6/18/08 8:07:08 AM
EAST RIFT
The dwarven kingdom of East Rift lies along the vast
Underchasm, a cavity formed mostly between the
Landrise and Great Rift in the Spellplague’s wake.
The floor of what was once called the Great Rift is
now a shelf on the side of the Underchasm. It has
come to be called the East Rift.
East Rift Lore
History DC 15: During the Underchasm’s fall,
large portions of the Great Rift were destroyed or
cut off. Fortunately for the dwarves of East Rift, the
elemental portals that feed the Riftlake didn’t close.
The lake, and rivers from the Eastern Shaar, kept the
East Rift from becoming a forsaken land.
Drow enclaves were also destroyed, including the
city of Llurth Dreier. A few years after the collapse,
dark elf refugees invaded the dwarven city of Underhome. The drow overran the city and still hold its
lower regions.
Streetwise DC 15: With the loss of Underhome,
Eartheart has become the center of the dwarven
lands. Underwatch, a fortress and village near Underhome, is a principal gateway that surface adventurers
use when entering the exposed Underdark.
Streetwise DC 20: Drow in the Underchasm
periodically test the dwarven defenses. Such a wide
opening offers unheard-of opportunities for moving
large forces to the surface all at once. Thus, the
dwarves of East Rift must remain vigilant.
The gaping Underchasm is a constant threat to this
dwarven land.
Eartheart
Fortified Eartheart is the heart of the dwarven
kingdom. The Deep Lords, a council of important
dwarves chosen by merit from among the populace,
once ruled from below the earth. They fled from their
tunnels during the cataclysm, and they now govern
the dwarves of the region from a great citadel carved
into the vertical side of the East Rift. The identity of
each Deep Lord is kept secret, out of fear of drow assassins. Each lord speaks through one or more emissaries,
and the Lord Scepter of Eartheart is their mouth to the
populace.
The structures of Eartheart are built into the sides
of the East Rift, and the city extends far more in the
vertical than the horizontal. The vertical “streets”
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that grace Eartheart’s expanse are a series of cunningly carved switchbacks. Small stairwells, suitable
for a single creature at a time, are prevalent, but one
immense switchback exterior stair connects the vertical portion of the city from top to bottom. The lower
regions, untouched by the sun, glow with magical
light, day and night. Those who don’t want to chance
the stairs, and who have extra coin, can travel by griffon steeds, which are bred and stabled throughout
the city.
Hammergate: Once a tent city known as Hammer
and Anvil that sprawled around the southwestern gate
of Eartheart, Hammergate is now a walled foreign
quarter of the city. Its eastern gateway opens onto
the road to Delzimmer. Nondwarf outlanders are not
allowed beyond Hammergate, but just about anyone
can stay and trade in this part of Eartheart, under the
watchful eye of numerous dwarf guards.
Riftedge Towers
Sentinels’ Bastions
Stone towers guard the edges of East Rift, along the
top and the depressed shelf, as a precaution against
whatever evil might rise up from below. The towers
that once surrounded the entirety of the Great Rift
now extend only partly around the more expansive Underchasm. The dwarves are unable to fully
guard the entirety of that vast opening. They are
also uninterested in doing so, since they are primarily concerned with their own security. They do
send patrols afield on foot and astride griffons, even
around the Underchasm’s periphery, just to keep an
eye on things. Such patrols carry powerful horns to
summon reinforcements from afar.
Underchasm
Hole to the Underdark
The Underchasm is an expansive sinkhole formed
by the collapse of a portion of Faerûn into the Underdark. The Sea of Fallen Stars, the Shining Sea, and
the Great Sea all feed the Underchasm by various
waterways, so many of the walls in the depths are
veiled in steaming cascades whose thunder is audible
for miles.
The upper portions of the Underchasm’s sides
host colonies of flying monsters and the occasional
dragon. The lower portions hold vast numbers of bats
and darker denizens.
The northern section of the Underchasm partly
undercuts the thick Chondalwood. The jungle has
begun to reach down into the dark, creating mileslong vines and massive roots ideal for climbing
creatures. Junglemotes also float above the northern
Underchasm.
Several other earthmotes hover over other portions of the Underchasm, tunneled with chambers
lined in luminescent fungus. Within such motes
6/18/08 8:07:09 AM
reside creatures normally confined to the deep earth,
and treasures of the former Underdark are somewhat
easier to reach.
Underwatch
Garrison Town; Population 7,000
This fortress is easily three times the size of a typical
riftedge tower. Situated within sight of the Gates of
Underhome, Underwatch serves as a station for dwarf
soldiers assigned to watch the lost city for interlopers.
Woe to any who let the dwarf authorities catch wind
of a plan to enter Underhome.
A village around the fort is a trade station and a
logging camp where trees harvested from the Riftwood can be brought into the East Rift. The village is
often used as a base of operations for those who wish
to enter the East Rift or the Underchasm.
From Underwatch, dwarves mount regular expeditions into the Underchasm to refine their maps and to
keep tabs on what threats might be gathering below.
Any outsider interested in signing onto one of these
expeditions is welcome—after being vetted to assure
the expedition leader that the newcomer isn’t a spy
or worse.
Rathgaunt Mote: A portion of what was once
the Rathgaunt Hills survives as a large earthmote
floating over the Underchasm. At the center of the
mote are the ruins of a heavily fortified gnome abbey
once known as the Shield of the Rathgaunt Hills. The
abbey’s gnome tenants now mill about as undead
around the dusty walls of the ruined fortress.
Sadrach’s Splinter: A thin mesa reaches up from
the Underchasm. A series of suspension bridges
anchored by earthmotes connects the Splinter to the
chasm’s western wall. Its entire upper reach—only a
few hundred feet wide—contains a dark, castlelike
BORDER AREAS
Delzimmer: This free city (population 15,000) is proof
that the Spellplague wasn’t all tragedy. The deluge of
Luiren and the desolation of the Shaar ensured Delzimmer’s continued existence. The Gulf of Luiren made the
formerly landlocked Delzimmer a port and provided an
influx of displaced hin. The drying of the Shaar caused yet
more immigration.
With the growth in population and an advantageous
location, Delzimmer expanded, building a new wall and
a fine harbor. The city’s mercantile interests thrive from
the trade coming mostly by sea to avoid the desolation
of the Shaar and the Plaguewrought Land. Delzimmer is
also known as “the gateway to the East Rift” because of
all the dwarven goods that leave its docks.
The Shaar Desolation: Once a vast savannah, the Shaar
became a desert when the formation of the Underchasm
cut off all fresh water flowing to the western regions. An
increase in temperature furthered the plain’s decline. The
land west of the East Rift is a vast dustbowl, most of its
inhabitants dead or displaced into more livable lands.
No hospitable settlements remain in the west.
Shaarmid is abandoned and buried in sand dropped
by unnatural storms. Rumors say that the deity Sseth is
transforming yuan-ti in ruined Lhesper, grooming them to
be lords of the desert. The snake creatures enslave those
who wander too far from Elfharrow.
The Eastern Shaar remains habitable, however. Rivers
still flow from the Uthangol Mountains and the shattered
remains of the western Toadsquats. Nearby seas moderate
the temperature. Nomadic Shaaryans survive here, along
with their native horses, but competition for resources,
and the ravages of gnolls, keeps the population low.
EAST RIFT
structure. That construction is the home
of Sadrach, formerly a human wizard but
now a plaguechanged part of the structure’s stone who can form a body from his
home. He employs a retinue of monsters
and slaves, but his needs are few.
Underhome: The collapse of the
Underchasm shattered most of Underhome. Drow overran what remained not
long after. The dwarves retook the Gates
(Underhome’s magic gold doors) and the
upper levels three years later. They then
sealed the city, defiled beyond redemption in their eyes, by fortifying the Gates
and placing newer magic iron doors in
several key locations. Drow and other evil
creatures were surely left inside when the
city was sealed. Despite the treasures that
those enemies still hold within Underhome, the dwarves refuse to return. They see any
attempt to enter as a crime against their ancestors.
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6/18/08 8:07:10 AM
ELFHARROW
Scattered tribes of xenophobic elves hunt down and
kill any intruders who attempt to cross this dry, notquite-desert land that outsiders call Elfharrow. The
natives also patrol the North Wall mountains south
of their lands, recording occasional sightings of monstrous entities in the high clouds along the ridgeline
of desolated Halruaa.
Elfharrow Lore
History DC 15: Elfharrow oral tradition has it
that the elves’ ancestors betrayed their kin to the
depredations of the drow during the Crown Wars
(see page 43). Following those events, they settled the
Misty Vale in remorse over their betrayal. For years,
the elves of the Misty Vale secreted themselves in the
forest so no one would see their guilt. They vowed to
live in isolation forever after.
Climatic shifts following the Spellplague dried
out and killed their forest over the course of twenty
years. The elves gradually moved out onto the plains,
claiming all the emptied lands north and northwest
of Halruaa. This change in lifestyle was accompanied
by extensive heartache and loss of life. Old elves,
confident and set in their knowledge of the forest,
had to learn a completely new way of living with the
land. For the most part, such innovation became the
province of the younger generations. These elves now
subsist as herders and hunters. A few even moved
north into the Shaar Desolation, building their homes
in the lees of towering mesas and deep caves.
Streetwise DC 30: The Elfharrow tribes might
not be as xenophobic as is commonly thought in
neighboring lands. Travelers who have crossed Elfharrow and had contact with the elves believe the
image is consciously projected as a defense. The
tribes wish little from the outside world, except to be
left to go about their lives without worrying overly
much about the rest of Faerûn. They are not wanderers—each tribe claims a particular territory, which it
exclusively hunts.
Nomadic centaur communities, forced out of what
is now the Shaar Desolation, coexist uneasily with the
elves of the arid plains.
Settlements and
Features
The city-state confederacy known as Lapaliiya that
once thrived along southeast shore of the Shining Sea
is no more. All its zealous warriors and industrious
merchants are gone or dead, leaving only the partially drowned ruins of once-wealthy cities. Because
of the Elfharrow tribes’ reputation, these ruins
remain mostly unlooted by salvagers from northern
lands.
Abn’dak Territory
Northwest Elven Territory
The Abn’dak Tribe, commonly called the “Sea
Crows,” claim several miles of coast along the Shining Sea that includes the ruins of Sheirtalar. The
Sea Crows live in stone huts on high hills overlooking the scrubland interior and the restless waves
of the Shining Sea. Collections of abodes make up
a string of tribal villages, each of which contains
at least one Abn’dak shaman responsible for communication between villages. Such messages are
mostly news of the latest hunts by land or by sea.
The Abn’dak chieftain is Seaspark. She is young,
having gained the chiefdom from her grandfather,
who died while she lay in the womb. Control over the
tribe bypassed her parents at her grandfather’s dying
request. Seaspark’s grandfather is not around to
pass on his wisdom directly, but her mother, the old
chieftain’s daughter, teaches her the tribe’s wisdom
while Seaspark grows into her role. Most believe Seaspark will rise to the challenge, though she remains
untested.
The Dead Vale
Tribal Holy Site
Lifeless, twisted stumps stretch for miles through the
Dead Vale. The lush forest known in former times
as the Misty Vale is a blasted, ruined skeleton of its
former verdant expanse. The forest did not die by
curse or the hand of an evil intruder, but through the
shift in climate. Druids and treants that might have
averted the change briefly lost access to their powers
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6/18/08 8:07:14 AM
ELFHA R ROW
yellowed grasses. More than anything else, the elves
seek Cuivanu, a mystical tree that once grew in the
heart of the vale. Cuivanu is said to seep life-giving
sap—those who drank of it were preserved from disease, curses, and even old age. The Elfharrow elves
hope that the tree remains in a hidden glade, still
in leaf and flower. Their worst nightmare is
that the tree is a great, gnarled hulk, dry and
dead, home to nothing but rot or worse.
Plots and Adventure
Sites
as a result of the Spellplague—just when they were
most needed. The Dead Vale is the result.
The Elfharrow tribes regard the Dead Vale as
holy ground. Its blasted expanse looms large in the
memory of their people. Small groups venture into
the deadscape on occasion, looking to uncover lost
remnants of their past life amid the dead trunks and
FR ANCIS TSAI
RED WOLF,
THE LONE HUNTER
A being known only as the Red Wolf hunts alone across
the dry lands of Elfharrow. Some stories paint him as a
killer, others a righter of wrongs. Still, the Red Wolf is
widely acknowledged as the strongest, fiercest warrior of
all the tribes. From time to time, cocky youths seek out
the hunter to test their mettle. All such contenders pay
the ultimate price for their impudence—death. The Red
Wolf sometimes takes the shape of a tall elf in hunter’s
garb; other times he appears to be a scarlet-hued wolf of
immense size. On the rare occasions when he shows up
with news or instructions, the chiefs and shamans listen
and do as they are bidden.
North Wall Gap: During the
Spellplague, Halruaa was annihilated
in a sorcerous blast so mighty that windows
in Waterdeep rattled. Along with the wizards’
realm, a section of the North Wall mountains was
obliterated. This gap exposed Lapaliiya to spewing toxic waters and uncontrolled wild magic that
otherwise might have been contained. In the
aftermath, Lapaliiya’s confederacy crumbled,
the climate skewed, and eventually, the land of
Elfharrow was born.
The gap has become something of a totemic
icon of the Elfharrow tribes—those who have
made the journey within and survived proudly
display a gleaming tattoo commemorating the occasion. A few also come back with spellscars. Elfharrow
guardians at the edge of the gap allow visitors of all
races through, and upon their return apply the insignia of passage. Entering the gap eventually brings a
traveler through the North Wall to look upon the face
of ultimate destruction. The trip also includes one
or more brushes with plaguelands, a plaguechanged
creature or two, and possibly even a scouting party of
Abolethic Sovereignty agents searching the edges of
Halruaa for purposes unknown.
Ruins of Sheirtalar: The Shining City’s gold- and
silver-leafed domes are now half-drowned, cracked,
and dulled by a century of fierce weather without
upkeep. The famed Domed Palace of the Overking, which once sat high atop a granite outcrop, was
pulled into a fissure so deep and twisting that daylight never reaches it. All manner of opportunistic
monsters lair in the ruins, preying on each other, and
protecting the treasure vaults of this fallen merchant
jewel with their ravenous presence. An outcast, selfaware aboleth, never part of the Sovereignty, sits
upon the Overking’s ancient throne, ruling over the
creatures that creep through the damp and drowned
corridors.
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6/18/08 8:07:18 AM
ELTURGARD
Elturgard is a theocracy ruled by those who are
certain they walk the path of righteousness. The paladins of this land take pride in their moral clarity and
pursuit of good.
Elturgard is dominated by a “second sun” that
hovers eternally in the sky above the city of Elturel,
making this a realm of endless daylight. Creatures of
darkness cannot abide even the sight of the city.
Unlike most countries, Elturgard has a state religion: Torm is revered in the temples that dot the
landscape.
Elturgard Lore
History DC 15: Elturgard is a relatively small
island of order and hope in an inhospitable swath of
the Western Heartlands. Over the years, hundreds
of people fleeing a mummy’s curse, a vampire’s service, or some other undead involvement have arrived
here, settling in Elturel in particular. The forests
surrounding this land have grown wild and dangerous. A pocket of plagueland festering several miles
to the south has a habit of spewing forth occasional
monstrosities.
Streetwise DC 25: In some quarters, Elturgard
has garnered a reputation for being too righteous.
Many problems attend its inflexible laws, inquisitorial persecution of evil, and bold plans for “setting
Faerûn aright.”
Settlements and
Features
The land with two suns is proud, not infrequently
wearing its intolerance as a badge of honor. This
realm includes the cities of Elturel, Iriaebor, Scornubel, Triel, and Berdusk.
ELTURGARD PALADINS
The cause of Elturgard is just and good, and the paladins
who serve it are uplifted by that undeniable knowledge.
Their blood is fired with light’s conviction, their minds
focused with purity, and their hearts hardened with their
faith. Nothing stands in their way—while they grip their
sanctified blades; fear is unknown to them and reviled
in others.
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Elturel
The city of Elturel rests atop a cliff that dominates the
River Chionthar. A shining orb hangs like an eternal
promise directly over the city’s center, providing a
golden companion to the sun’s light by day, and reassuring sunlike illumination by night. The heatless
second sun is called the Companion or Amaunator’s
Gift, though no one but the High Observer knows if
the object was truly bestowed by the sun god. Whatever its provenance, the Companion’s illumination
suffuses the city, and undead of every sort are burned
by its touch.
Elturel is the capital of the wider kingdom it
claims. The city is ruled by the High Observer of
Torm, who keeps order within the city and the wider
realm through a knighthood of paladins who share
Elturgard’s goal of one day bringing righteous judgment to all Faerûn. Numerous citizens dream of
joining the knighthood, and many succeed. Though
not all serve the same god, all have sworn oaths
to Elturgard and wear the blazing insignia of the
Companion.
As in previous generations, Elturel sees to it that
the city and surrounding lands are the safest, best
policed, and most efficient trading and farming community in the Western Heartlands. Caravans and
riverboat convoys dread tying up in Elturel. More
than anywhere else, travelers must be on their guard
lest they use profane language, joke in an impious
way, or otherwise accidentally anger the righteous
port officials. Taxes are high for such offenses, and
penalties include stripping a trader of the right to
enter the city.
6/18/08 8:07:19 AM
City of Caravans; Population 14,000
Scornubel is a sprawling swarm of mercantile activity
along the north shore of the River Chionthar where
it meets the River Reaching. Caravans of all nations,
organizations, and trading costers are welcome as
long as they abide by the rules of good business. The
paladin citadel visible from most points in the city is a
constant reminder to those who might try otherwise.
Dirty dealing in Scornubel can lead to severe punishment. Its earlier rulers chose profit over ideals, but
the exact opposite is now true.
Scornubel’s fortunes nearly failed in the decades
following the Year of Blue Fire, when trade across
Faerûn essentially fell to nothing. But the City of
Caravans found a strategy to survive when it was
nearly wiped out by destitution and starvation: The
elders of Scornubel allowed it to be annexed into the
realm of Elturgard. A contingent of paladins rode into
the city, and it was saved. Over the last few decades,
Scornubel has regained much of its former mercantile vigor, but the permanent citadel Elturgard built at
the city center, brimming with paladins, has changed
its overall tenor.
Dungeon of the Inquisitor: Those who trespass
against the laws of Elturgard three times are thrown
into the Dungeon of the Inquisitor. This vast, subterranean maze lies deep beneath the streets of Elturel,
and its population is constantly being replenished
by new lawbreakers. Parts of the dungeon consist of
natural caverns discovered during the excavation,
and their full extents and final destinations have yet
to be determined. Strange sounds infrequently echo
from unknown cavities—sometimes rushing water is
heard, other times the enraged roars of vicious behemoths ring out. From time to time, dungeon prisoners
on mining detail escape their captors and dash into
unexplored crevices and tunnels. They are never seen
again, on or below Faerûn.
Fort Morninglord: This keep lies a day’s ride west
of Elturel, overlooking the River Chionthar. Its entire
complement of paladins disappeared one night three
years ago in an event that blackened every stone and
fused every door and window of the keep. Fearing
contagion by the unknown evil that rendered the
keep uninhabited, the High Observer sealed all visible entrances behind additional layers of stone and
mortar, and proclaimed that anyone who broke this
interdiction would become an outlaw of the land.
Reaching Woods: This expansive stand of
deciduous trees—mostly elms, maples, beeches, and
oaks—seems a pleasant and beautiful forest from the
exterior. That is merely a facade. Elturgard has discovered that its inmost secret glades hid shrines to
primal entities not approved by the High Observer.
The holy sites were tended by elves, humans, and, to
the paladins’ dismay, gnolls and goblins. The High
Observer, declaring that goblins are vicious creatures
and that gnolls serve demons, ordered the forest barricaded. No one can enter or leave, on pain of death.
Twenty years passed in silence, but the calm has
recently been broken. A lone elf slipped past the
paladins’ blockade and told her story: The gnolls
have conquered every other humanoid within the
Reaching Woods, keeping the survivors captive as
food. Only a few prisoners are left, and once they’re
gone, the gnolls must set their sights on food sources
beyond their green sanctuary.
IRIAEBOR
THE TRADE WAY
Iriaebor is still an independent and strong city-state,
despite the best efforts of Elturgard to bring it into the
fold. The City of Thousand Spires is not free of Elturgard’s
influence, however. Where competing states might seek to
overrun a rival through force of arms, Elturgard attempts
to woo Iriaebor with gifts, largesse, and promises of safety,
all delivered by sun-blazoned paladins. Some merchants
of the city freely accept these gifts, even going so far as to
allow small companies of Elturgard knights to stay in their
guest towers. More than a few see this as a threat, but
others say the resident paladins are gracious—and handy
to have around when true evil is afoot.
Over the centuries, numerous separate caravan paths
coalesced into a well-traveled route along the western
edge of Faerûn called the Trade Way. Regular traffic once
extended from Luskan to Calimport, but has been truncated since the Spellplague. It now runs from Waterdeep
to the southern edges of Tethyr. Parallel to but usually
some distance from the coast, the route moves farthest
east just north of Baldur’s Gate, where Elturgard paladins
guard the crossing at the Winding Water River. Few, if
any, of the lands through which the Trade Way passes
are completely safe, and caravan guards are in constant
demand.
E LT U R G A R D
Scornubel
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ERLKAZAR
The Baronies of Erlkazar are home to a small population of simple folk scattered through tiny, pastoral
villages. Such peace is presumably maintained by
the Baronies’ relative insignificance and proximity to
the Vilhon Wilds, though stories tell how this sleepy,
out-of-the-way place was once harried by gangs of
bandits. Those marauders are gone, or at least they
no longer bother with Erlkazar. Instead, border
regions of Calimshan, Tethyr, Amn, and Turmish are
victimized by midnight raids from a well-organized
bandit army. No one knows where the bandit army is
based—no sign of the night raiders appears in idyllic
Erlkazar.
Erlkazar Lore
Settlements and
Features
From time to time, adventurers trail bandit raiders from surrounding lands to Erlkazar, where
they find only peasant villages, incapable of hiding
anything the size of the army they were after. The
simple townsfolk are welcoming and friendly, and
are bewildered if asked about a raiding army. After
sunset, however, the villagers lock themselves in
their houses, and nothing can convince them to go
out at night. That’s when the vampires rise up from
their caves, and with their bandit minions, slay the
troublemakers.
Day Baronies
Daylight Realm of Pastoral Villages
The Day Baronies are small, peaceful, and remarkably stable, having changed little in decades. The
villagers get along wonderfully and are never menaced by outsiders. In the dark of night, though, they
don’t leave their abodes and don’t want to know what
goes on outside.
Ahlarkhem: The heart of Saestra’s realm, this
area is where the bulk of the Night Barony bandits
hide, far beneath the pastoral fishing villages. Ahlarkhemites are the most nervous people in Erlkazar,
and rarely speak to or make eye contact with visitors.
Carrelath: Unlike the rest of the realm, Carrelath
is populated mostly by dwarves. More and more they
have tried to distance themselves from the rest of the
realm and from Saestra. Still, they too live in fear of
the vampires who could invade their underground
homes any time, day or night. They look to the Baron
of Impresk as a possible ally to one day drive Saestra
out and restore the peaceful kingdom to its old ways.
JAMES ZHANG
History DC 25: The vampire Saestra Karanok,
once a native of the city of Luthcheq in Chessenta,
was discovered by her horrified father and driven out
on pain of destruction. After several years wandering
southern Faerûn, she ended up in the sleepy, out-ofthe-way realm of Erlkazar. It didn’t take Saestra long
to exert her influence over the bandits there, and she
soon had them united under her thrall. The bandits,
some now vampires in their own right, ceased their
raids in Erlkazar.
Streetwise DC 35: Through wiles and threats,
Saestra garnered the cooperation of all five baronies.
She seduced and then transformed the king, leaving the palace in Llorbauth a haunted symbol of the
realm’s true ruler. When the sun shines, the Day
Baronies of Erlkazar live on, unmolested by either
vampires or bandits. After sundown, though, the
Night Barony holds sway, using Erlkazar as a base of
operations to raid caravans, settlements, and even
cities from the edge of the Plaguewrought Land to the
east, south into Calimshan, and west into Tethyr and
Amn.
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ERLK A ZAR
Impresk: The northernmost barony, Impresk
engages in some resistance to Saestra’s rule and
thus is the least stable of the Day Baronies. One of
the Day Barons, Tolarran, is a young and ambitious
leader. If any hope exists that the people of Erlkazar might throw off the yoke of the Night Baroness,
Tolarran is it.
Shalanar: The seat of the former king, Shalanar
has become the least important of the five baronies.
The city of Llorbauth has shrunk from a population
of 28,000 to fewer than 10,000, and the citizens
have gone back to the land, working small farmsteads
or gathering in tiny thorps of fewer than a hundred
souls apiece.
Tanistan: The least populated barony, Tanistan
is farmed by a few toughened folk who make their
peace with the night through strong drink.
Ellhimar Tower: Old Shalane Lake has dried up,
and where blue waters once rolled now lies a pocket
of plagueland. On the edge of the corrupted land,
just within its borders, an old tower is visible that
must once have lain below the lake’s surface. Old stories have it that the tower was owned by a vanished
wizard named Ellhimar. The structure remains inviolate, its flickering field of magic withstanding the
hazy blue flames that spiral up from the surrounding
plagueland. No denizen of the Shalanar Barony has
attempted to gain entry.
Night Vault: Any subterranean access or tunnel
beneath Erlkazar is likely a passage to the Night
Barony. The dark hollows beneath Erlkazar house
living bandits and their undead vampire lords.
A half-collapsed portion of the Night Barony was
condemned by Saestra and excised from the realm
for its instability years ago. The rockfall sealed away a
Night Barony treasury, several bandit guards, and at
least one vampire master. The instability was accompanied by upwelling magma streams swarming with
salamanders and others creatures of the flame-loving
depths. Of late, Saestra’s surface raids have dropped
precipitously; she has been using her forces to cleanse
the new fiery threats in her own backyard.
NIGHT BARONY
Cavern Realm of Bandits and Vampires
From her resting place deep in a cavern beneath the
barony of Ahlarkhem, Saestra rules the Night Barony.
Generations of bandits, dozens of them now vampires,
swarm the caverns under the Day Baronies. Saestra keeps
them well trained and loyal—they can tear a village apart
in an hour if so ordered. None of her victims have any idea
where to find her, and the villagers fear her far more than
any foreign invader seeking the bandit army.
Another section of the Night Vault is the former
lair of a red dragon called Fyrentennimar. Long
ago the creature was slain by magic and steel, but
the dragon’s spirit still resides in the stone. One
of Saestra’s ongoing projects includes somehow
extracting that spirit and using it to amplify her own
necromantic power.
Spirit Soaring: Once a temple to the vanished
god Deneir, this impressive cathedral of soaring
towers, flying buttresses, and great windows has
become a haunted ruin. Gargoyles perch at every
corner, though not always in the same position.
Reedy music emanates from the structure, dirgelike
and laden with the sadness of ultimate loss. Majestic
double doors and blackened glass windows open into
the main area of the cathedral, the central chapel.
Soaring columns raise a shadowed roof high above.
The walls of the chapel hold ledges lined with statues,
blackened and begrimed, faces seeming to leer in the
darkness. Throughout the structure, no supporting
arch or door is without decoration, no door or wall is
absent of runes, and no empty space is unfilled with
menacing sculpture.
All stories agree that Spirit Soaring is haunted,
though no one knows by what. Are the sculptures
inhabited by evil spirits, or do the vengeful ghosts of
past inhabitants yet walk the darkened corridors and
catacombs beneath? No one who has entered intending to loot the sacristy has ever again emerged, so the
true nature of the threat remains a mystery.
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ESTAGUND
Estagund shares a common cultural heritage with
decimated Durpar and drowned Var the Golden.
Its folk are Durpari, who value trade and honor the
Adama, a divinely inspired moral code. Beset by
enemies, and within reach of few allies, Estagund
relies on its noble warrior class and friends in High
Imaskar to keep it safe.
Estagund Lore
History DC 20: Estagund endured a few ills in
the wake of the Spellplague, but its lands were spared
from the devastation. Trade initially suffered, but
time heals all wounds.
Over the last thirty years, kenkus have become
prominent in the nation’s larger settlements. In
the last five years, an alliance has grown between
rakshasa-ruled Tirumala in the Beastlands and
Estagund.
Religion DC 20: Unlike Durpar, where faith in
the Adama faltered during the Merchant Wars, Estagund still has a strong religious center. The Adama
is both a belief system and a code of conduct. To the
average believer, the Adama is a guiding force, teaching that only through honest practices and mutual
respect can one find peace and happiness.
All creatures, including deities, and objects are
manifestations of the Adama. Gond, Oghma, Selûne,
and Waukeen are the strongest representatives of
its values of fairness, hard work, and honesty. Worshiping any god is paying homage to the Adama, but
dishonesty and wickedness tend to separate evil deities and creatures from its principles.
Estagund’s people derive their sense of truth,
fairness, and tolerance from the Adama. It’s the foundation by which they conduct themselves in daily
life, not just in ceremonies or in worship. Word of the
128
Adama has spread to other lands; it and the people
who follow it enjoy a reputation for fairness.
Streetwise DC 20: Unlike other states created by
the Durpari people, Estagund has been and remains
a monarchy. Rajah Jasraj Seltrarir rules with the aid
of the Council of Chakas (merchant houses). The
rajah is the final authority in the land, as well as the
commander of its armed forces.
Differing further from their counterparts in
Durpar and lost Var, Estagund’s people honor a
class of noble warriors known as the Maquar. The
members of this class follow a highly restrictive code
of conduct that dictates many aspects of their lives,
limiting or prohibiting many activities. In exchange
for these sacrifices, the Maquar are freed from the
responsibility of providing for themselves so they
can devote their lives entirely to the protection of the
people. The Maquar answer only to the rajah of Estagund and those he deems fit to command units in his
stead—usually the leaders of Estagund’s other cities.
The Maquar, in turn, form the command structure of
the military, performing as officers for common professional soldiers and local militias alike.
All of Estagund’s major population centers lie on
the Great Sea, far from the dangers of the northern
reaches.
Chavyondat
Set on the Bay of Kings, Chavyondat houses important centers of government, trade, military, and
religion. In the city’s center are Seltrarir Palace
and the House of Chakas, where affairs of state are
handled. Nearby stands the House of the Vanquisher,
central training grounds for all Maquar. The minarets
of the House of the Adama rise next to the palace,
and within, halflings displaced from Luiren long ago
maintain a shrine to Chauntea and Sheela Peryroyl.
6/18/08 8:07:25 AM
Curna Mountains
Mines and Monsters
During the Merchant Wars of Durpar, the Gemstone
chaka, a house run by a collective of dwarves, fled
to Estagund rather than submit to the will of the
Datharathi. With them, they brought the contents
of the Library of Ormpé, sacked long before Ormpé
vanished beneath the Golden Water. Rumor says the
chaka found the secret of their Curna Mountains
mines in the library. Those mines are the sole sources
of Curna emeralds, bright green stones that shine
with internal light when cut correctly. It’s possible
that these emeralds have traces of plangent crystal
(page 118) in them.
Other than the hidden mines, the Curnas hold
abundant monsters, including the largest population
of bugbears, goblins, and hobgoblins in the area. The
range hosts the ascendant Iron Eye tribe with its connections to Durpar (page 118). Well-armed cyclopses
roam the peaks as well, suggesting a connection to
the Feywild there. Rocs take flight from the highest
crags, sometimes hunting the plains and the sea.
SOUTHERN LLUIRWOOD
Just across the Gulf of Luiren from Estagund, this surviving
expanse of the Lluirwood is a dense jungle. Claimed by
no other land or ruler, it is home to a federation of hardy
halfling tribesfolk allied to the hin of Dambrath’s Hills
of the Kings (page 115). These halflings are also skilled
boatfolk and sailors; some of them regularly make the trip
to trade in Estagund’s cities.
A trek through Southern Lluirwood is chancy. Yuan-ti
claim a portion of the deeper jungle, as do a few beholders. Even the halflings can be dangerous to strangers,
whom they see as possible yuan-ti spies.
Ammathtar: The beholder Lyxedda lurks in the ruins
of the halfling city Ammathtar, destroyed almost a millennium ago. All sorts of aberrant creatures, birthed in the
corruption sown by the beholders, live in this nightmarish place. From there they strike out into the jungle and
Dambrath, giving Ammathtar an evil reputation.
E S TA G U N D
The largest ward in Chavyondat is the marketplace, where everything imaginable within the
morality of the Adama is for sale. The former Durpari
chaka Vosh sells magic and items unusual for this
part of the world. Although that chaka traces its heritage to the Red Wizards and fallen Thay, it no longer
has a relationship with either.
Chavyondat’s market gives way to docks on the
Great Sea. From these quays, Estagund’s merchant
ships sail the Gulf of Luiren west to Delzimmer,
north to High Imaskar, and beyond into the Sea of
Fallen Stars. They also brave the Great Sea in routes
to Calimshan, Amn, and the Sword Coast.
Gulf of Luiren
Newborn Sea
During the Spellplague, the Great Sea inundated the
land of Luiren, homeland of the halflings. Most hin
who once inhabited the area perished. Only a small
portion of the Lluirwood remains on the gulf ’s east
shore, and monsters of the Beastlands rule the truncated forest from ruined Thruldar.
Under the bay’s shallow waters lie drowned halfling
settlements still full of their riches. Sahuagin, aquatic
ogres, water trolls, and wretched halfling ghosts haunt
these drowned sites. Here and there, a tower juts from
the bay, allowing access to its inundated interior.
Nacmoran: The return of the Feywild spelled
change for the Curna Mountains. The veil between
planes is thin here. As a result, the fomorian kingdom
of Nacmoran has been reestablished in deep, glittering caverns beneath the peaks.
Nacmoran is the source of the wild cyclopses
that roamed the south while the Feywild waned.
Now the fomorian hold is consolidating power and
spreading dark fey throughout the highlands. It has
already assimilated hill giants, cyclopses, and goblins under its authority. Forces loyal to the fomorians
have clashed with the Gemstone chaka’s warriors
in deep mines and with the Iron Eye goblins in the
crags. Soon, the fomorians of Nacmoran will begin to
extend their reach.
Vizier Devang: Within Seltrarir Palace, a cancer
festers in the form of Vizier Devang. Originally from
the Dustwall Mountains, Devang is a rakshasa lord in
service to the rajah of Tirumala (page 96). Estagund’s
Rajah Seltrarir trusts Devang and keeps the vizier’s
counsel, going so far as to sign a trade agreement
between the Seltrarir chaka and Tirumala. Even the
common folk know Tirumala to be a wicked place, and
they’re mystified as to why their benevolent rajah has
agreed to trade with the city. The most popular rumor
is that the rajah is a rakshasa. Pratigya, captain of the
rajah’s three hundred personal Maquar, doesn’t believe
this rumor, and she’s planning to send agents with a
caravan to Tirumala to investigate what’s going on.
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6/18/08 8:07:26 AM
EVERESKA
Protected by high magic, a powerful mythal, and
thousand-foot cliffs, Evereska is a mist-shrouded
city of secretive eladrin. Its inhabitants spurned the
Retreat to Evermeet, keeping their city hidden from
the rest of Faerûn, only to end up at the center of a
war between the Shadovar and the phaerimms.
Evereska Lore
History DC 10: One of Evereska’s Tomb Guards
unwittingly helped release the phaerimms, bringing
Shade Enclave back from centuries in Shadow. That
mistake nearly destroyed this city of ancient wonders.
A century of relative peace has seen Evereska rebuilt.
It has been drawn, despite its reluctance, into a more
visible role as one of the three major powers opposing
the expansion of Netheril.
Streetwise DC 10: Evereska maintains its secretive ways; admission to the city is a closely guarded
privilege. The Passing—magic required to enter the
vale—comes only by invitation from a member of the
Hill Elders for outsiders, or through a password for
native Evereskans.
The various access points to the city are patrolled
by the Vale Guard, each contingent led by a kanqat in
command of no fewer than a hundred archers.
Settlements and
Features
Since the Spellplague, the walls between the world
and the Feywild, always thin in Evereska, have grown
thinner still. Eladrin pass between planes with ease.
Evereska remains a secretive place full of ancient lore
and priceless treasures.
EVERESKA’S MYTHAL
Almost entirely rebuilt by Evereska’s high mages after the
phaerimm siege, the city’s mythal weathered the Spellplague with barely a flicker.
The mythal is semisentient and committed to the
protection of the city and its inhabitants. Its magic allows
citizens and visitors to walk up and down vertical surfaces
(as long as their feet and hands are bare), and covers the
city in a protective aura that includes feather fall and other
beneficial effects.
The mythal also provides protection from enemies in
the form of a startling array of offensive spells that makes
Evereska among the best-guarded cities in Faerûn, rivaling
Waterdeep and Shade.
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The Meadow
Defensive Perimeter
Evereska’s vale is covered in a wide swath of meadowlands and farmlands dotted with copses and small
forests of smokethorns, blueleafs, and other exotic
trees. Past the flatlands, the Meadow Wall surrounds
the city proper at a short distance, forming the last
line of defense if an enemy manages to accomplish
the Passing. It marks the limit of Evereska’s mythal,
but to the untrained eye, it appears to be nothing
more than a decorative hedgerow.
The Vine Vale, the area beyond the Meadow Wall,
is home to terraced farms watered by a thousand
springs. It is perpetually shrouded in mist that hides
the city from sight.
Evereska City
Large City; Population 22,000
Evereska is built on a lofty mesa nestled in a valley surrounded by high hills. The Three Sisters are towering
marble cliffs a thousand feet tall, upon whose plateau
the city glistens. Its winding streets and towering
structures have changed little in thousands of years.
Buildings carved of granite and marble are merged with
living plants. The air smells of moss, leaves, and flowers.
Streets paved with marble extend up the vertical sides
of great towers. The eladrin wander over every surface,
occasionally flying or levitating from place to place.
The Hall of the High Hunt is an imposing structure of soaring marble minarets and vine-covered
arches where the Hill Elders hold court. This council
of the most learned eladrin includes fierce warriors,
high mages, and nobles born of families that were old
when humans still wielded bone clubs.
Evereska has a number of temples devoted to gods
worshiped by the fey. A statue of Hanali Celanil rises
hundreds of feet above the city center, and the aweinspiring Floating Gardens of Aerdrie Faenya provide
a tranquil respite. Though confusion accompanied
the revelations that Hanali Celanil was in fact the
elven aspect of the goddess Sune and that Aerdrie
Faenya was none other than the primordial Akadi,
the worship of the goddess of beauty and the Lord of
Sky Home are still major parts of life in Evereska.
Both Sune and Akadi must surely be pleased by
Evereska, which combines jaw-dropping beauty with
PATHS TO THE FEYWILD
When the Spellplague pushed the two planes closer
together, Evereska drifted into the fringes of the Feywild
and now exists equally in both places. Eladrin are taught
at the youngest age to wander freely between the worlds,
and all the defenses that protect Evereska from the dangers of Faerûn protect it as well from the greater dangers
of the Feywild.
6/18/08 8:07:27 AM
EVERESK A
stomach-dropping heights. Nothing is close to the
ground here, and towers compete with each other to
scrape the clouds. The tallest structure in the city is
the Tower Higher than Eastpeak, which is so named
because it’s taller than the mountains east of the vale
that sometimes block the rising sun.
The Academy of Magic and the Academy of Arms
are sponsored by the high mages and the Long
Watch, respectively, and no finer wizards or fighters
can be found in the world. Possessed of extraordinary
power, the high mages of Evereska keep their lore a
closely guarded secret.
Warriors of Evereska
Military Defenses
The military might of Evereska is considerable. In the
last century or more, it has begun to shift its focus
from protecting the city to venturing out—often in
company with soldiers from Cormyr and Myth Drannor—against Netherese encroachment.
The Long Watch is tasked with extending the
military reach of Evereska beyond its protected vale.
Skilled archers and powerful battle mages greatly
impress any who fight alongside them, and strike fear
into those who oppose them.
One of the city’s primary missions for centuries
has been the protection of its tombs from plunder.
That task is in the hands of the Tomb Guard, capable
adventurers who are dedicated stewards of the buried
past.
The Swords of Evereska is a militia composed of
nobles. The finest families in Evereska are represented, a fact that makes it clear that no one is above
contributing to the defense of the realm.
The Arvandor Gate: In an effort to learn the
truth of their goddess’s identity, the priests of Hanali
Celanil opened a portal to Arvandor out in the Vine
Vale. The casting was successful, but they learned the
deity existed in Arvandor only as an avatar of Sune,
who was allowed by Corellon to extend her power
from the Gates of the Moon.
HIGH LORD DUIRSAR
High Lord Duirsar, a trusted, capable, and decisive commander, has served as the leader of Evereska for more
than two centuries.
Though he long protected Evereska from the outside
world, High Lord Duirsar has been working since the phaerimm siege to move toward a more open relationship with
the city’s neighbors. He understands the true potential of
the Netherese threat, respects the efforts to rebuild Myth
Drannor, and has embraced the end of the Retreat.
Duirsar commands the Cold Hand, an elite military
company drawn from Evereska’s finest warriors.
The portal was opened in the Year of Blue Fire,
just as the Spellplague passed over Evereska. The
mythal protected the city from all but a few minor
occurrences of wild magic. Thanks to the planar
conjunction with the Feywild, however, the portal
to Arvandor remained open. No effort since has
been able to close it. The gate is one-way, and no one
who has passed through it from Evereska has ever
returned.
The Groaning Cave: This mysterious cave rests
in a hillside inside the city. The entrance is surrounded by a granite terrace and balustrade. What
lies inside is known only to the high mages, but it’s
assumed to be the chamber in which the mythal is
housed. It also serves as the city’s archive, filled with
treasures beyond imagination.
The Shadow Remnant: During the phaerimm siege, the protective shell around the city was
strengthened by a pall of Shadow Weave magic. This
act helped block the phaerimms’ spells, but occasioned near disastrous results for the mythal.
Though it was successfully removed for the most
part, a single remnant of the shadow veil has persisted through the decades, stymieing the high mages’
attempts to dispel it. It appears as a thin, rectangular sheet of utter darkness suspended high in the
air. Without warning, vile magic spits forth, along
with even more vile creatures straight out of the
Shadowfell.
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6/18/08 8:07:28 AM
EVERMEET
Evermeet is the refuge of the Elven Court that withdrew from Faerûn during the Retreat. Elves and
eladrin of many cultures followed Queen Amlaruil when she moved the center of fey life out of its
ages-old home in the forest of Cormanthor. Strong,
magical, and filled with soaring forests, Evermeet is
an achingly beautiful land. Long viewed as a “world
beyond the world,” it was where fey went to get away
from everyone and everything else. Although difficult
to reach, it once lay over the sea to the west of Faerûn.
Evermeet is widely considered to have perished in the
Spellplague.
Evermeet Lore
History DC 10: Even Evermeet’s closest allies, the
fey kingdoms in Faerûn, lost contact with Evermeet
after the Spellplague. With the failure of all portals, embassies, and attempts to reestablish contact,
common wisdom now has it that Evermeet has been
destroyed.
Arcana DC 40: Evermeet in fact survives in the
Feywild. An echo of the fey refuge remains in Toril
as an isle with the same shape and diameter, lying
off the coast of the unfamiliar continent of Returned
Abeir. The echo is empty of structures and has few
residents. Evermeet fey can step back and forth
between the echo and the Feywild’s Evermeet as they
choose.
Contact points and routes between Faerûn and
Evermeet were severed during the Year of Blue Fire,
and they have been slow to reknit in the years since.
Queen Amlaruil is gone, and the throne stands
empty; Evermeet is currently governed by its Royal
Council. Some suspect that a Moonflower heir yet
walks Faerûn, severed from his or her native land.
Settlements and
Features
Evermeet is a large forested isle in the Feywild. It
brims with wonders, integrating natural beauty and
supernatural splendor.
Leuthilspar
The capital of Evermeet is the paramount example of
organic architecture, in which buildings are grown
rather than built. Skyscraping crystals are riddled
with spiral passageways and glass-floored living
quarters. Mighty trees grow into citadels, linked
bole to bole by fluting branches. Soaring arches and
shimmering fields of magical force support airy palaces that seem too fragile to exist even in a dream.
Eternally vigilant warriors and mages in armor of
gleaming glass guard the tranquil city.
A Royal Council rules Evermeet. Its members
include Selsharra Durothil, Ammisyll Veldann, Breithel Olithir (the Grand Mage), Keryth Blackhelm (the
Lord Marshal), and others. Zaltarish, an aged scribe
long associated with Evermeet, has shuffled off the
mortal coil.
Eagle Hills: From Thalikaera Rock, the highest peak of
the Eagle Hills range, lookouts can see far across the surrounding waters of a Feywild sea that remains mysterious
and inscrutable. The lookouts often step across into the
echo to look toward Returned Abeir, watchful for dangers
from that mysterious land.
The Farmeadows and the Horsefields: The two largest
meadows on Evermeet are lush and pleasant, representative of the dozens of smaller glades tucked in among the
trees.
Ardulith River: Leaf boats ride from the river’s source
high in the Silver Hills down to where it joins the River
Shaelyn. From there, the waterway flows into the sea in
view of the Royal Council’s palace in Leuthilspar.
Silver Hills: These 3,000-foot, conifer-lined peaks
tower over the rest of the island.
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RON LEMEN
GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES
6/18/08 8:07:30 AM
EVERMEET
Moonflower heirs persist within the borders of
Evermeet, but so far none have claimed the throne.
Most of Evermeet’s citizens agree that a Moonflower
must be the monarch—although Durothil, Veldann,
and others scheme constantly to declare the Moonflower dynasty at an end, so that they can found a
new one.
The Royal Council has formed a company called
the Abeir Explorers’ Guild, which is partly financed
from the royal coffers. The Guild sends groups across
the Feywild border into Toril, and from there to the
new continent to gather information and map the
unexplored lands. Even after years, only a fraction of
the nearest continental coastline is known, because
many expeditions of the Explorers’ Guild fail to
return. So far, the guild has mostly found unrelenting
jungles from which poke structures large enough to
house giants, all apparently empty.
Corellon’s Grove
Temple Site
The high temple of the First of the Seldarine can be
found in a northern forest of the island. Indeed, it
would be proper to say that the north quarter of the
island is the high temple to Corellon, since it’s impossible to know where the normal forest ends and the
space holy to the great deity begins. According to
eladrin sages, Corellon’s Grove comes closest to replicating the divine environment of Arvandor outside
that blessed dominion.
Grove of Grief: This large copse lies close to
the echo isle’s eastern edge. Mists and dense trees
conceal a series of ridges and breakneck gullies that
seem rougher and more dangerous with each step
one takes. More than one Explorers’ Guild member
has disappeared in this thicket, apparently lured
deeper and deeper by a noise that at first sounds like
a child’s crying.
Sumbrar: When Evermeet was whirled into
the Feywild, the military stronghold of Sumbrar
made the trip as well, but not unscathed. Its miles of
interwoven magical fortresses, companies of wizardwarriors, and enchanted armadas ignited and burned
with blue fire. The last eight dragons of Evermeet
sleeping below the isle were lost—perhaps killed or
snatched away into some unreachable realm.
Now lying only a few miles off Evermeet’s coast,
the ravaged isle of Sumbrar is a plagueland filled
with hideous creatures that slay any eladrin looking
to salvage something of the former island stronghold.
Treasures of military power might yet languish in
Sumbrar waiting to be claimed, but so far few wouldbe scavengers have survived such expeditions.
LIFE IN EVERMEET
When Evermeet shifted into the Feywild, the Elven Court
exerted its power to ensure the smooth passage of the
seasons and to preserve the stately cadence of contemplative serenity Evermeet has long enjoyed. As ever, noble
houses, family lines, and clan relationships color relationships between individual eladrin.
Many of the elves who lived in Evermeet remained
behind in the forest of the echo land. From there, most
dispersed to the new continent of Returned Abeir or
traveled to Faerûn.
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6/18/08 8:07:31 AM
THE GREAT DALE
The Great Dale is the long, windswept gap between
the Forest of Lethyr and the northern Dunwood
(formerly called Rawlinswood). Rumpled ridges of
bare rock rise from the thin soil, growing steeper and
more rugged to the north and south as one climbs
toward the forests that flank the vale.
Fierce winter winds scour the land during the cold
months, and all year long the Great Dale is a desolate
land. Leaving aside trade towns, the only major settlement is Yeshelmaar.
Great Dale Lore
History DC 20: In the Year of Rogue Dragons
(1373 DR), the Rotting Man, a servant of Talona
ensconced at Dun-Tharos in the center of Dunwood,
was foiled in his plot to suckle an abomination on
divine blood. For all his evil, though, Talona’s champion had watched over the ancient Nar capital’s ruins,
much as the druidic Nentyarchs of previous years
had done before him. The failure of the Rotting Man’s
mystical machinations and his demise woke longquiescent demons beneath the ruins of Dun-Tharos.
Since then, the Dunwood has become a far more dangerous realm of evil-looking trees.
Streetwise DC 15: The unforested portion of
the Great Dale has never been much more than a
wide range for goats and other hardy livestock. With
threats from Narfell in the north and the demons of
Dunwood, few communities remain. Yeshelmaar,
home to the druids of the Circle of Leth, is the Great
Dale’s center of civilization.
Tiny holds ruled by druids or tough foresters exist
here and there, mostly at the eaves of the Forest of
Lethyr.
Bezentil
Trade Post; Population 200
Mostly overgrown now, the Great Road runs through
the dale from Uthmere to the crossroads of Kront. It
passes through this walled village, which serves as a
waypoint for travelers and caravans. Five-foot-high
stones, carved with a tree-in-circle mark, stand on
the road to Bezentil, signifying that the crossroads is
under the protection of the Circle of Leth.
Dunwood
Demon-Haunted Northern Forest
The Dunwood forms the northern border of the
Great Dale, weaving its way south of the Giantspire
Mountains and the plains of Narfell until it peters out
near the Cold Road in the east. Once the Dunwood
was a northern twin to the Forest of Lethyr, but then
the Rotting Man disturbed the wreckage of DunTharos, the ancient Nar capital.
Now the blightlords and the Rotting Man are no
more; ageless demons in their hundreds stir within
Dunwood instead. The Nentyarch of Yeshelmaar is
occupied in a fierce contest against the demons of
Dun-Tharos. His greatest wish is to eliminate them
entirely, but this goal is slow in coming.
Forest of Lethyr
Druid-Guarded Southern Forest
The Forest of Lethyr occupies the southern half of the
Great Dale and provides a natural boundary between
the Great Dale and Thesk. The forest is rich in wildlife, including bears, wolves, big cats, deer, rabbits,
and all manner of birds, squirrels, and other treeloving animals.
Druids, rangers, and other folk of the woodlands
answering to the Nentyarch guard the boundaries
of the Forest of Lethyr. Several treants also roam the
wood, dedicated to finding and dispatching demonic
infections from the north. A few secretive villages of
elves exist in the woodland. Human settlements are
limited to the forest’s southern edges, in Theskian land.
Kront
Trade Village; Population 400
The first glimmer of civilization along the Cold Road
from N’Jast in Narfell, Kront stands on a crossroads
that leads to Two Stars in Thesk. Despite raids from
far-roaming Nars, the rough frontier village still
stands. No lord higher than the current Lady Chinilvur, of an Impilturan noble line, claims dominion
over Kront. The Chinilvurs would have built the town
in the Ashanath on Lake Ashane, but that stretch
of land is prone to unnaturally regular and severe
tornadoes.
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6/18/08 8:07:32 AM
Trade Village; Population 400
The Easting Reach withdrew as the Sea of Fallen
Stars receded, leaving this former port landlocked.
A major earthquake then finished the city. Most citizens fled to Impiltur.
A walled trading post still stands along the Great
Road and the Dalestream here, surrounded by small
farms. The Hall of the Just, once a temple to Tyr, is
the town’s authority. Uthmere’s streets are safe, and a
traveler can expect fair treatment in the village.
Yeshelmaar
Trade Town; Population 2,000
Near the center of the dale, a great tor rises from the
forest. A pristine lake of clear, cold water stands at the
foot of the hill. Carved into the tor is an old stronghold known as Yeshelmaar, built in a day when the
Lethyr fey faced off against threats from Narfell.
During the wars with the Nars, Yeshelmaar
grew higher and deeper, until the original tor was
obscured. Now it is difficult to pick out the transition
between the natural stone of the hillside and elven
engineering. Slender walkways thread the tallest
spires, and curling stairways provide external access
to many of the towers and lower balconies. Trees root
in earth-filled stone planters on nearly every level
surface, providing soothing breaks in the otherwise
stern stonework. Green ivy grows over the sides of
every wall.
The Nentyarch and his Circle of Leth formerly
dwelled at Dun-Tharos, but the Rotting Man and his
blightlords drove them out. Yeshelmaar became the
Nentyarch’s seat-in-exile.
Dun-Tharos: This half-buried ancient city sprawls
for miles through the pines and bogs at the heart of
the Dunwood. It was once the seat of a great and terrible realm of dark keeps and sinister lords. In a war
PETTY DEMON LORDS
Several powerful demons claim territory above and below
Dunwood. Two of them are briefly described here.
Eschar: A powerful demon who commands others of
its ilk in Dun-Tharos, Eschar is similar in form to a big,
scaled ogre. A crown of horns protrudes from its head
and glows with fiendish light. Evil pulses from Eschar like
a heartbeat ringing up from the depths.
The Queen Abiding: Also claiming power in DunTharos, the Queen Abiding is a blot of darkness a dozen
yards across when she expands to her full diameter. The
chill of coldest winter enshrouds her.
between ancient Raumathar and Narfell, some mighty
spell of unspeakable power leveled the entire area. So
ended the demon-haunted kingdom of Narfell.
Nentyarchs of ages past raised a living fortress of
magical trees over the ruins of Dun-Tharos, chasing
off explorers lest they awaken the dire forces buried
beneath. Treasures of Narfell’s baleful lords lie in deep
storehouses and conjuring chambers under the old
ruins. The Rotting Man drove out the Nentyarch and
the Circle of Leth, disturbing those ancient secrets
and, before his fall, unleashing an even worse power.
Now demons of every shape move through the
catacombs of Dun-Tharos and the forest above. Any
creature that comes looking for ancient Nar treasuries risks much.
The Mucklestones: The northeastern eaves of
Lethyr hide the fabled Mucklestones—a number of
weathered stones covered with nature runes that
stand in a cleared circular declivity. The stones shift
around the clearing at times, and the whole area
sometimes migrates short distances.
Guardians of the forest keep close watch on the
Mucklestones. The Spellplague destroyed many of the
portal connections that the stones once housed, and
twisted others so that they lead to unfixed and dangerous locales.
Oracle of Fortress Clymph: The rocks and
bricks of these ruins glow red with heat, and the
crackling of massive flames emanates from a central
fortress. The stones of the keep are imbued with powerful protection magic, transforming the perimeter
of the building into a massive magic circle. Before
the Spellplague, the magic barrier contained a portal
that opened to the Abyss. Though that gate has been
closed for nearly a hundred years now, and most of
the demonic hordes within have succumbed, fiendish
presences yet linger here.
In recent years, Clymph has become known as
an oracle site. Those brave or desperate enough can
approach the fortress’s front gate, knock three times,
and wait to be addressed by a booming voice from the
earth. The petitioner is allowed one question, but the
answer is whispered so quietly that an ear must be
laid to the gate to hear the answer. Many supplicants
leave unharmed, happy with what they have learned.
Others are absorbed through the gate into the fortress’s interior, never to be seen again.
Val-Murthag: This sprawling city was leveled by
the Raumathari long ago. Its cyclopean walls and
shattered towers lie in a wild and lonely corner of
the Great Dale. Little is left on the surface, but deep
vaults filled with imprisoned demons and restless
Nar ghosts lie beneath the city’s numerous keeps.
T H E G R E AT D A L E
Uthmere
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6/18/08 8:07:34 AM
HALRUAA
quicksand. Many monsters, including black dragons,
inhabit its pools and stands of cypress trees. Rethild
deserves its reputation as one of the most deadly
swamps in Faerûn.
The lizardfolk of the Great Swamp, most numerous of its inhabitants, are united into a kingdom they
call Ilimar. They have no clear ruler and often function independently, but never at cross purposes. Some
of the young dragons ally and even live with the lizardfolk in a major settlement also called Rethild. This
community is built on the foundations of a sunken
sarrukh city in the center of the swamp.
The former nation of wizards who traced their
heritage to ancient Netheril, Halruaa is now a wasteland of crumbling settlements, noxious waters, and
unchecked magic. Pockets of active Spellplague dot
the land with blue fire.
Halruaa Lore
History DC 15: The Spellplague was not kind to
Halruaa, heir to the Netherese veneration of magic.
Fully half of the land dissolved during the initial
wave of blue fire. In the tsunamis, mudslides, and
magical detonations that followed, the remainder of
the nation was destroyed.
Streetwise DC 20: Halruaa is best known today
as the fallen magical country that birthed the mercenaries known as the Five Companies (page 254).
The Walls
The toxic landscape of Halruaa is riddled with the
magical remains of a wizards’ realm.
Rethild
Tropical Mire
Once considered part of Dambrath, this vast
marshland is now lumped in with the wilderness
of Halruaa. Also known as the Great Swamp, it has
grown over the decades. It abuts the East Wall and
the southern arm of the Gnollwatch Mountains,
flooding all the lowlands between. Only a few high
hills provide any significant expanses of dry land.
Inhospitably hot and foul-smelling, the swamp is
full of parasites, disease, clouds of poison gas, and
Mountainous Borders
Three ranges known as the Walls protect Halruaa’s
basin from outside threats—or at least, they did.
During the Spellplague, the Walls, towering to
20,000 feet or more in places, made it hard for Halruaans to escape the death throes of their nation. Of
the five passes that once led between the peaks, only
three remain. The North Wall Gap connects Halruaa
and Elfharrow, the Nath Pass cuts through the East
Wall into Dambrath, and Azhul Pass descends from
southeastern Halruaa to Rethild, the Great Swamp.
Formerly tamed by Halruaa’s wizards, the Walls
are now gorged with monsters. Normal and spellscarred giants, ogres, wyverns, and worse rule the
crags. Although Elfharrow patrols the North Wall
Gap, the elves’ presence is minimal. Less numerous,
but more dangerous, are the few aboleth agents that
comb the North Wall for some unknown purpose.
HALRUAAN CONSUMPTION
Any nonspellscarred creature that ventures into the valleys of Halruaa is subject to a magical wasting condition
known as Halruaan consumption. The game details of this
disease are given below.
Akhlaur Marsh: Named for the infamous necromancer who expanded it, this marsh was an inland
swamp. Flooding in Halruaa during the Spellplague
brought the sea to the marsh. Natural dangers
abound here; Akhlaur’s influence added a spectrum
of undead. The necromancer’s fortress still stands,
half-flooded, somewhere in the swamp.
Chasolné: On the southern reach of the East
Wall, looking out over the Bay of Pirates, stand two
500-foot-tall stone heads. Their humanlike features
are exaggerated and stylized, bearing grooves that
resemble scaled skin.
Halruaan Consumption
Those who contract this malady are subject to sudden weight
loss, vomiting, and finally disintegration.
The target ! Initial Effect The target regains
!"
is cured
only half the normal hit points
and also
from healing effects and takes a
gains a
–2 penalty to Fortitude and Will
spellscar.
defenses. Additionally, the target
gains a +1 bonus to damage per die
when using arcane attack powers.
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Level 11 Disease
Attack: +15 vs. Will
Endurance improve DC 26, maintain DC 22, worsen DC 21 or lower
The target regains only half the normal hit points "
from healing effects and takes a –2 penalty
to Fortitude and Will defenses. In addition,
the target takes 15 damage, which cannot be
healed until the target is cured of the disease.
Additionally, the target gains a +1 bonus to
damage per die when using arcane attack powers.
Final State The
target dies,
disintegrating into
luminous blue
dust.
6/18/08 8:07:34 AM
H A L RUA A
Lately sailors on the Great Sea
have seen the eyes in the heads
glow at times, night and day.
Ships have disappeared around
the Bay of Pirates more often in
recent times. Most prefer to give
Chasolné a wide berth.
The heads flank a winding
stair that leads to a ruin on an
outcropping at the top of the cliff
above. Set in the middle of the
tumbled stones is a broad slab
of rock that seems to be an altar,
carved with images of strange
sea life and stranger oceangoing
vessels. Wide and shallow stone
bowls, blackened by fire on the
inside, flank the table.
Beyond the altar, a tunnel
opens into a domed chamber.
Three round passages lead into
the earth from this chamber, leading to an ancient
sarrukh site. Two sarrukh still reside here. They perform experiments on their lizardfolk servants and on
captured travelers and sailors. Through magic portals, the site connects to Ilimar and Okoth.
Halarahh: Halarahh was the capital of Halruaa.
In its heyday, hundreds of lofty towers built of coral
stone, crystal, and magic rose to the skies. Floating keeps, the soaring towers of the ruler’s palace,
and flying vehicles without number distinguished
its skyline. All that was wiped away with the rest of
Halruaan civilization. Now the city is a panorama of
shattered, fallen shells.
Windowless openings gleam and sparkle with
residual spells, and strange sounds almost like singing emerge from beneath the ground. The broken
remains of buildings and the vaults below are not
only rich in treasure, but also thick with blue fire,
ghosts, angry undead, magical guardians, wards,
and other threats. Failed magic has also allowed all
sorts of beings not of this world into Halarahh. Most
common are elemental creatures, passing through
unbroken connections to the Elemental Chaos.
At the city’s center stands an enormous treelike
entity, perhaps living, perhaps animate. It is content
to remain motionless for years at a time. Then it
awakens for a days-long rampage.
Ilimar: In the forested hills above the northern
reaches of Rethild, at the headwaters of a stream
that feeds the marshland, stands a small and ancient
settlement. Recently rebuilt, its walls bear serpentine
motifs and are overgrown with snakelike vines.
Elite lizardfolk guard and live at the site, practicing magic beyond that normally possessed by their
kind. Guardian nagas reside among them, guiding
the lizardfolk of Rethild.
Three open vaults below the settlement once
housed an equal number of sleeping sarrukh. Two
chambers hold treasures the nagas gathered while
their masters slept. The third room features two
portals—one leads to Chasolné and the other to a ruin
in Gulthandor on the Dragon Coast.
Mount Talath: The Temple of Mystra carved into
the side of Mount Talath erupted in an explosion
of blue fire upon the deity’s death, taking out much
of the outer structure. When the smoke and haze
cleared, a shimmering blue image of a soaring structure thick with reaching spires remained. The image
bears a striking resemblance to the previous temple.
Around this temple seethe the worst plaguelands
of Halruaa.
ORDER OF BLUE FIRE
The Order of Blue Fire maintains a base in the fortress of
Talathgard on the outskirts of the Halruaan devastation.
They attack any who are bold enough to approach what
they call the Temple of Blue Fire on Mount Talath and
regularly send sorties into the simmering structure. See
page 264 for more about this organization.
They haven’t penetrated far. As one might expect,
deadly guardians and wards protect the Temple of Blue
Fire. A series of magical tests once used to ascertain the
trustworthiness of visitors still functions, now warped in
terrifying ways. Furthermore, the tower image becomes
solid and guards against intruders, touching more than
one with blue fire.
Despite the risks, the order’s members are driven on
by rumors that the temple and tunnels beneath hold vast
magical knowledge and stores of items. So immense is
the collection, legend says, that spells were required to
categorize and find specific items and books.
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6/18/08 8:07:35 AM
HIGH IMASKAR
The reinvigorated realm of High Imaskar claims old
Mulhorandi lands that were wiped clean in the Spellplague. The realm is peopled by distant descendants
of the infamous Imaskar Empire toppled thousands
of years ago. The new realm retains elements of original Imaskari culture, though it renounces slavery in
all its forms (unlike the old Imaskari, whose slavetaking led to their downfall). It is widely believed that
those born of Imaskari blood possess a special talent
for magic.
Despite High Imaskar’s example and stated intentions, nearby countries deeply distrust this revived
empire. After all, its ancient namesake was one of the
most hated reigns of all time.
High Imaskar Lore
History DC 15: Ancient kingdoms fell in the
Spellplague’s aftermath, among them Mulhorand.
Many of the Mulan people were lost when the landscape rocked and changed. The few remaining fled to
other lands, including Chessenta. With Mulhorand’s
gods departed and the altered landscape completely
barren of civilization, a descendant of ancient
Imaskar named Ususi Manaallin founded the new
realm of High Imaskar. She did so by relocating the
ancient (and movable) Palace of the Purple Emperor
to the wildscape of former Mulhorand.
In the years since, High Imaskar has consolidated
its hold on its new-claimed lands. Ususi was crowned
Empress, the first Imaskari imperial presence since
the last emperor, Yuvaraj, was slain in battle against a
Mulan deity nearly 4,000 years ago. Ususi’s first dictate was to renounce the slavery of her ancestors, and
she outlawed slave ownership in High Imaskar on
pain of death. She also set up the Body of Artificers,
Planners, and Apprehenders, whose power is equal to
and balances hers.
History DC 25: In the Year of the Wyvern (1363
DR), a secret Underdark refuge of Imaskar’s few
survivors cracked the Great Seal that had so long
shielded its existence and location. Several explorers
left the hidden city, called Deep Imaskar, to see if the
forces that had brought the old empire to its knees yet
persisted. In short order, the hidden city came under
attack from a living doomsday weapon of their ancestors’ own devising.
Deep Imaskar’s Great Seal was thrown down and
half the city’s inhabitants were slaughtered in the
streets before the threat was quelled by two Imaskari:
the wizard Ususi Manaallin and the vengeance-taker
Iahn Qoyllor. Deep Imaskar remains, but many from
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that realm joined Ususi Manaallin in building a new
empire on the surface.
Streetwise DC 15: Deep Imaskar persists as an
ally of High Imaskar, though many of its more outgoing citizens relocated to the new realm. However,
in the years since, Deep Imaskar has grown darker,
paranoid, and resentful of its prosperous daughter
colony. Expert diplomacy keeps this alliance in place
. . . for now.
High Imaskar’s other ally is Tymanther, the land of
dragonborn in the area once claimed by Unther. High
Imaskar knows that it must keep allies on its flanks,
and thus it gives Tymanther favored trade status to
keep the realm on friendly terms.
Settlements and
Features
Few landscapes are as turbulent as High Imaskar’s
crazed realm. Its wild extremes, filled with towering
peaks, echoing chasms and drifting earthmotes,
make navigation difficult without aid. Trade is
accommodated between various urban centers using
huge flying beasts known as redwings. These dragonflylike creatures, bred by the Imaskari, transport
both trade goods and passengers on great gondolas
strapped to their undersides.
KEY INHABITANTS OF
HIGH IMASKAR
The Empress: The aged Empress Ususi oversees the
new Imaskari empire she helped found. Now, her creeping infirmities have become too great to forestall through
magic. Thus, Ususi has asked the Body of Artificers, Planners, and Apprehenders to nominate a candidate for
empress or emperor, unrelated to her, whom she will
either accept or refuse. Ususi seeks to avoid the system
of dynasties that helped weaken High Imaskar’s predecessor realm.
Qhapaq: A proficient arcanist, Lord Artificer Qhapaq,
leads a powerful group of citizen-mages that makes up a
large segment of the Imaskari population. He styles himself a man of the people and speaks for their concerns.
Yanay: Skyclave’s “mayor” sees to the city-tower’s
needs and provisioning. Lord Planner Yanay commands
the nonmilitary workers and deals with the day-to-day
needs of the population. She is the designated lead
representative for those Imaskari who do not concern
themselves with arcane enterprises.
Qhechua: A fearsome commander, Lord Apprehender
Qhechua oversees a security force of vengeance-takers,
the judge-executioners who police Imaskari society. He
divides his time (and his vengeance-takers) between
internal troublemakers and external threats.
6/18/08 8:07:37 AM
HIGH IMASK AR
Gheldaneth
Remnant City; Population
22,000
Radically reduced in size from
the metropolis it once was,
Gheldaneth yet persists, the sole
surviving bastion of ancient Mulhorand. Despite its grand history,
Gheldaneth proclaims fealty to
High Imaskar. A detachment of
Imaskari vengeance-takers has a
permanent post in Gheldaneth,
ensuring that the city obeys
the dictates of the Empress in
Skyclave. The two rules most at
odds with the previous way of
life in Gheldaneth are the ban
on owning slaves and the ban on
worship of the Mulhorandi pantheon. Several bitter,
bloody conflicts have been fought by vengeance-takers
and Gheldanethi loyal to Imaskar against slaver syndicates and priests of banned deities.
Despite these controversial edicts, social status
remains important to average Gheldanethi. Many
citizens shave their heads and paint circles upon their
brows. One circle indicates someone of the middle
class, two an arcane spellcaster, and three an honored
historian of lost traditions. The middle class consists of
artisans, craftsfolk, traders, mercenaries, and scribes.
A high concentration of tieflings lives in Gheldaneth. Many of them claim that they are mortal
descendants of ancient Mulhorandi deities, though
most believe they are scions of slaves who made deals
with devils in an attempt to escape their bondage.
Gheldaneth is composed of relatively modern
stone buildings and streets squatting on the ruins
of a metropolis that once numbered over 170,000
residents. Only a few of the grand structures the city
once boasted remain in use—the rest were buried in
the upheaval that obliterated the greater part of Mulhorand. Submerged structures include Mulhorand’s
Great University and Wizard College, temples great
and small, and grand tombs of previous rulers. At one
time, Gheldaneth was known to house the largest collection of relics and magic items in the area. Precious
few have been recovered.
All those buried structures and treasures make
modern-day Gheldaneth a hub for adventurers who
dream of lost riches ripe for the taking just below the
city streets. The city’s economy is booming, mostly
serving hopeful salvagers and adventuring companies
from all across Faerûn.
Skyclave
Capital City-Tower; Population 18,000
Vast and imposing, Skyclave is the seat of the
Empress and the Body of Artificers, Planners, and
Apprehenders. The great tower is many-windowed
and sprouts hundreds of secondary spires flush with
the main mass. It includes the partly restored and
relocated Palace of the Purple Emperor.
From the exterior, hundreds of balconies, balustrades, verandas, spiraling stairs, and doorways
protrude from the great tower’s sides. The lowest
balcony is a good two or three hundred feet above the
farms, fisheries, and light industries that surround
and support Skyclave.
More than half of all the citizens of High Imaskar
live within Skyclave’s hollowed interior, a space
magically larger on the inside than on the outside. The
city-tower’s endless interior galleries are thick with
interesting sites and shops. This area holds a grand
theater, a vast library, residences both large and small
TAVERNS AND INNS
OF SKYCLAVE
The accommodations at Skyclave are varied and numerous. A couple of establishments stand out.
Ayar’s Table: From the Imaskari inscriptions on the
walls to the jug of mushroom ale on every table, the atmosphere in Ayar’s recalls the vaults of Deep Imaskar, with
excessive exaggeration. The main room is a sprawling,
boisterous hall whizzing with invisible servers, called uskuras, carrying trays, drinks, and decorations. Red and black
sauces, popular in Deep Imaskar, dominate the menu. In
Ayar’s, platters are piled high with herbed cabbages balancing on mountains of succulent fennel worms.
The Edge: Occupying a series of connected exterior
balconies along Skyclave’s western face, the Edge is
famous for its views of the surrounding landscape. Its
menu boasts anomalous Mulhorandi twists on classic
Imaskari delicacies. The Edge also features the perpetual
presence of Jard Sharoch, an expatriate of Waterdeep
whose nightly stage performances have secured a home
for him in High Imaskar.
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6/18/08 8:07:38 AM
suitable for common folk and nobles alike, and numerous innlike gathering places for the locals to congregate.
Here and there, uninhabited levels are given over to
plantlike growths and magical lights. In the halls of
the Academy of Imaskar, wizards pass on what they
remember of their ancient craft to the next generation.
High Imaskar’s military force, the Vengeance
Riders, stables specially trained redwings in grand
balcony-roosts near Skyclave’s tip. A patrol of at least
four redwings always circles the great spire, on the
lookout for trouble.
Plains of Purple Dust
Desert Borderland
This desert is an extension of Raurin to the east,
smothered beneath a cover of ash and sand. Grim
and isolated, the Purple Dust is strewn with bleaching bones and drifts of purple sand.
The desert has expanded over the previous century,
spilling south between the Dragonsword and Giant’s
Belt mountains, covering what was once a scrubland
of dry grasses, sparse foliage, cacti, and thorny trees.
Now all lies under faintly magical sand. The purple
worms that swim the dust seas cavort beneath the
dunes, sometimes breaking the surface, especially
when prey is close. The worms hunt all creatures but
prefer the High Imaskari patrols that skirt the desert’s edge. Much bigger worms have been seen on the
horizon; no patrol chances the deep desert.
Now and again, great tornadolike dust devils
emerge from the plains, moving in a direct line
toward Skyclave. The massive whirlwinds always die
out miles before they reach the spire, if indeed that is
their true destination.
Bride Keep: A large watermote called the Bride
hangs a mile or more above a dark chasm. Mile-high
waterfalls stream from its sides. The upper face of
the mote is a mirrorlike expanse of blue-green water,
NEZRAM
THE WORLDWALKER
A powerful wizard survived Mulhorand’s fall: Nezram
the World-Walker. Nezram was long absent from his
homeland, planewalking on the trail of an ancient race
of serpent people, but the crossplane catastrophe of the
Spellplague brought him back to Toril. There, he found
Mulhorand wiped away. Nezram believes the Spellplague
was partially accomplished through the machinations
of the Imaskari, and he views their recent acquisition of
Mulhorand’s former lands as proof. He seeks to bring low
the fledgling state of High Imaskar by any means necessary. Though few know it, Nezram has secretly subverted
Yanay, High Imaskar’s Lord Planner.
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broken here and there by atolls and largely submerged mounts. The largest land mass rises near the
center of the mote, where Bride Keep is built.
All the creatures that swim the seas of the Bride are
undead, even the smallest minnow. A cursed being
called Marthusal the Ender stands bound in Keep’s
deepest vault, screaming in never-ending horror at its
fate. To hear this soul-shattering shriek is to perish.
Castle of the Rose: Northwest of Skyclave is a
small, monster-infested castle spire built over the
ruins of a Mulhorandi wizards’ guild. A tiefling named
Danzer Rose built the spire five years earlier pursuant
to a land grant from the Empress. The intention was
to carve out a piece of civilization in the great wilderness. Recently, communications from Rose ceased, and
envoys confirm that the castle spire is now inhabited
by the mushroomlike humanoids known as myconids.
The spire remains uncontested by High Imaskar
and thus likely contains the remains of Rose and his
retinue, as well as whatever creatures he accidentally
roused from the ruins of the wizards’ academy beneath.
The Celestial Nadir: The Nadir is an artificial
dimension (in truth, an astral dominion, though it
is not controlled or inhabited by any active divine
being). It was formed by the original Imaskar Empire
to conduct research and store dangerous rituals
and relics. The wizard-rulers of Imaskar also used
the space to connect their far-flung empire. In the
intervening years since it was last tended, the magebuilt demiplane has taken on a life all its own. It has
grown, subsuming other dimensions, and is now so
dangerous that access to it has been banned by the
Empress’s decree. Vengeance-takers hunt and kill any
person or creature that seeks entry.
Inherrekh: Somewhere west of the Dragonsword
Mountains lies an abandoned gold mine, featuring
several underground chambers connected by a series
SON OF THE EIGHTH
Somewhere within the cityspire of Skyclave hides a selfproclaimed son of Mephistopheles, who is called the Son
of the Eighth. The Son of the Eighth has gathered a sect
of devil-worshipers who revere both him and his father,
Mephistopheles, through a series of monthly rituals too
awful for any civilization to stomach. Thus his death is
commanded by Empress Ususi, and there is a standing
reward on his head that includes both gold and a private
meeting with the Empress herself, a boon many would give
much for. Despite this, the Son of the Eighth and his sect
continue to grow, bedeviling High Imaskar with an internal threat composed of corrupt Imaskari so enamored of
power that they grasp after it no matter the price.
If an Imaskari citizen finds that her door has been
marked by the symbol of a horn drawn in blood, she has
been put on notice that she is being courted as either the
newest member of the sect, or the next sacrifice.
6/18/08 8:07:40 AM
MARK TEDIN
Now the mind flayers commit the bandit groups to
ever more daring raids on Gheldaneth and even Skyclave. They move about
though restricted
portals partially
restored by the
mind flayers.
Pyramid of the
Seer: Although many tombs
and cities of Mulhorand were
erased or tumbled into ravines,
others remain uncovered. One is the socalled Pyramid of the Seer, a tomb of a long-buried
pharaoh whose claim to fame was his ability to look
accurately into the future. Called Ankhat-Parameh
in life, the ancient ruler knew to the hour when he
would die, and thus governed with a melancholia unmatched by later pharaohs. Knowing of his
impending death, Ankhat-Parameh entered his
tomb while still alive and sealed himself inside the
intricately guarded maze of traps and guardians,
safeguarding his ability to see the future against all
tomb raiders. Stories circulate that if one successfully navigates the gantlet to find Ankhat-Parameh’s
sarcophagus, the pharaoh’s spirit returns to answer
a single question. However, it does so only if the
tomb’s treasures remain unmolested. If any piece of
his treasury is disturbed, Ankhat-Parameh remains
silent until every last piece has been restored.
Ruins of Skuld: Skuld, the City of the Gods,
was founded over 3,600 years ago. At its height, it
contained well over a hundred thousand inhabitants. The tumult of the Spellplague shattered Skuld,
buried its neighborhoods, toppled its towers, and
drowned its fleet. Other parts of the city vanished,
dissolved completely in the cataclysm, or were
transposed into vanished Abeir. Now the city exists
as a subterranean warren of broken streets, collapsed temples, and guttering magical curses.
The buried City of the Gods once housed temples and the incarnated Mulhorandi deities. Of all
of Faerûn’s ruins, Skuld is the pearl explorers seek
most. It is also the most dangerous locale, its buried
vaults and catacombs simmering with still-potent
guardian magic and curses mouthed by long-dead
deities.
Temple of Horus-Re: Beneath the streets of
Gheldaneth is a grand temple to the banished
and long silent god Horus-Re. Delvers who have
discovered the subterranean paths that lead to the
golden doors of the temple report the entrance is
guarded by clay golems and stone golems carved
to resemble great baboons. The constructs, despite
the absence of the god once worshiped within,
are vigilant. It is assumed that the temple finery
remains unlooted.
HIGH IMASK AR
of shafts and tunnels. It was the lair of a group of
outlaw priests and slavers until a mind flayer colony
emerged from an unexplored
tributary tunnel and converted
all the bandits to thralls.
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6/18/08 8:07:40 AM
THE HORDELANDS
A vast, rolling tundra and steppe of short grass, sparse
water, and fewer trees, the Hordelands truly earns
its other name—the Endless Wastes. Severe winters,
dry summers, poor soil, and frequent violent storms
make the land unsuitable for large settlements.
Raumvirans, descendants of ancient Raumathari,
are common around the Lake of Mists and west of
that area. Most natives of these plains, however, are
horse-riding nomads called the Tuigan. In truth,
Tuigan is the name of a single prominent tribe—people of the Endless Wastes are divided among fifteen
wandering tribes that each range widely within their
traditional or newly claimed territories. They live in
tents and move frequently to survive, letting their
tough steppe ponies forage on the sparse vegetation.
The Tuigan feed on livestock, horse milk, and the
creatures they hunt with uncanny skill using ordinary shortbows.
Hordelands Lore
History DC 15: Over a century ago, a great
warrior named Yamun Khahan of the Tuigan tribe
united the tribes of the steppes under his banner.
(For this reason, the majority of Faerûnians think that
all Hordelands tribesfolk are Tuigan.) His horsemen
invaded Faerûn but suffered huge losses in Rashemen, and they were all but annihilated in a final
battle in Thesk.
The horse culture of the plains has diminished
further with the birth of Yaïmunnahar. This kingdom, forged by Yamun Khahan’s son Hubadai, is only
about a century old. It centers on the grand trading
city of Kourmira along the Golden Way, where many
Tuigan have settled.
UZBEG’S CARAVANSERAIS
Four structures, two on each side of the Golden Way,
stand in Uzbeg’s center. Each building is a walled square
surrounding a courtyard accessible through a single gated
entrance large enough to permit a horse-drawn caravan.
Though the courtyard is open to the elements, the inner
and outer walls form a cavernous hall suitable for sheltering animals and wagons. Stables, rooms for sleeping, a
tavern, and vaults for valuables are also located inside.
Each courtyard contains a central well that provides
water, and tent shops that offer various wares. Uzbeg
merchants sell mainly travel supplies at a number of stalls.
Other traders come and go depending on the particular
mix of merchants currently in residence and their willingness to sell to or trade with others.
142
Those who travel the Golden Way need worry
little about bandits. They have more to fear from
monsters that the Tuigan might have kept in check
were their numbers greater on the steppes.
Streetwise DC 15: Traders dealing in rare
Hordelands goods are common along the Golden
Way. Some offer themselves as “feyguides” for strangers interested in visiting the area’s numerous fey
crossroads—portals that are said to bridge the gap
between Faerûn and the Feywild.
Streetwise DC 40: A plagueland in the northwestern Hordelands marks the location of Deep
Imaskar far below.
Settlements and
Features
The region’s few permanent settlements center
around water, a precious resource on the steppes.
The Golden Way
Trade Route
The Golden Way runs from the city of Telflamm on
the Easting Reach, through Thesk and Rashemen,
around the Sunrise Mountains, across the Hordelands to Kourmira, and then all the way to Shou
Lung. Instead of a proper road, the Golden Way is
a series of stone markers, each visible from the last.
These markers make it easy to locate oases and caravanserais along the way. Of course, the markers also
serve as hiding places for robbers and clever monsters
to set ambushes.
Uzbeg
Village and Inn; Population 500
A fortified caravanserai situated along the Golden
Way is a welcome sight to travelers. Uzbeg, near the
Lake of Mists, is the largest along the route. After the
Lake of Mists swallowed many settlements during the
Spellplague, Raumvirans established this town with
help from merchants from Thesk. A scrupulous and
industrious Raumviran woman named Taimurel now
heads the place.
Uzbeg has a sterling reputation. Trade, information, and travelers moving up and down the Golden
Way support its economy, and explorers interested in
the Lake of Mists use Uzbeg as a base. Brave fisherfolk make up the majority of the citizens here.
City of the Dead: In the deep wastes is a city
filled with evil spirits and walking curses. The
nomads avoid it, but rumors on the Golden Way
have it that the city is rich in magic and treasure
from some ancient kingdom. A little over a hundred
years ago, the city was a scattered ruin. Over the last
6/18/08 8:07:42 AM
EASTERN LANDS
The Endless Wastes give way to the young Tuigan kingdom of Yaïmunnahar and the continent of Kara-Tur,
neither of which are shown on most Faerûnian maps.
Kozakura and Shou Lung are great nations within Kara-Tur,
and the Spellplague was at least as destructive there as it
was in Faerûn. In the last hundred years more immigrants
from Kara-Tur have begun to settle in Yaïmunnahar and
Faerûn, bringing their cultures and unorthodox fighting
styles with them.
THE HORDEL ANDS
several years,
though, strange
buildings
have pushed
upward from
the ground.
They are slowly
becoming less
decrepit and
tumbled, and
now certain
streets and
white-stone
buildings
stand perfectly
straight and
strong. By day,
the roads and
alleys are silent,
the buildings
hollow and
empty. At night,
indistinct figures are seen
shuffling down every lane, and phantom glows and
laughter emerge from formerly empty chambers. It
is as if an alternate reality is being poorly reflected
into the world, a reflection whose focus is becoming
sharper with each passing year.
Lake of Mists: Named for the fog that constantly
enshrouds its surface and the surrounding lands,
this lake is the largest body of fresh water in the
Hordelands. It was once the center of civilization in
this area, but during the Spellplague, long-quiescent
Raumathari magic sprang to life. An ancient portal
opened a link to the forming Elemental Chaos.
The lake boiled over its former shores, a tornadospawning thunderstorm churned over the area for
more than a month, wind and fire consumed much
of the woodlands along the lakeshore, and the trade
town Almorel disappeared into a quake-born fissure.
Once the bedlam had subsided, the basin of the lake
had changed, and all the settlements it once fed were
gone.
The Lake of Mists is now home to elemental creatures, mischievous fey, monsters, and animals. Still,
its waters are said to be warm and so pure as to be
healing. The Golden Way passes close to the lake,
and hardy settlers have returned to parts of its shores.
On the rare days when the mists lift, usually
during the summer, spires and arches of black rock
are visible near the lake’s center. Called Blackspire,
this place is rumored to be home to fire creatures that
conspire to bring their element to the fore in the area.
Other gossip suggests that Blackspire is the remains
of an underground Raumathari fortress.
Winterkeep: To prove their stoicism, Raumathari
kings once wintered in this palace on a rocky headland of the Great Ice Sea. Even in those days, the
palace had few aboveground structures. Instead, its
richly appointed halls were carved from the rock of
the promontory. Cracked pillars, wrecked walls, and
tumbled statues mark the surface level.
Tuigan legend says that “ice demons” attacked
Winterkeep during Raumathar’s war with Narfell.
Other tales state that some great fiend, an ice devil
perhaps, lives in the depths with a small army of
trolls. Although the city of Kourmira is within striking distance of the keep, no verifiable story exists
that anyone has successfully explored and looted the
place.
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6/18/08 8:07:43 AM
IMPILTUR
Formerly a strong, prosperous, and peaceful kingdom, Impiltur is a realm in decline. Travel between
the cities is dangerous, and plaguechanged monsters
haunt the countryside. Demons bound long ago were
freed when Mystra’s Weave failed, and many yet
roam the landscape.
Impiltur Lore
History DC 15: With the retreat of the Sea of
Fallen Stars, several Impilturan cities lost access to
their ports for a time, and trade through the area
declined precipitously. Sarshel managed to keep
ahead of the retreating beaches better than some of
the larger cities, gaining a fair bit of the commerce
that finally returned to the region. Today, the city is
called New Sarshel.
Streetwise DC 15: Impiltur’s royal line failed
with the death of King Imbrar II during the Year
of Blue Fire. The country is now ruled by a ragged
Grand Council composed of lords from the remaining cities. People talk longingly of restoring a
monarchy to the land—”The king will come and put
things right, you’ll see”—but for now everything keeps
getting worse.
Impiltur is currently in the grip of a fanatical cult
of demon-worshipers, who cause no end of trouble.
The Grand Council’s efforts to locate the cult’s leaders and combat its depredations have proven woefully
inadequate to date.
FRATERNITY OF THAROS
The demon cult currently running wild in Impiltur is
called the Fraternity of Tharos. The group takes its name
from the ancient Nar capital of Dun-Tharos in the Great
Dale’s northern forest, Dunwood. The name also reveals
the source of Impiltur’s demonic contamination—the
demons loosed in that northern forest.
The fraternity inducts new members by requiring them
to kidnap an innocent victim from among Impiltur’s populace, then slay that victim in a bloody ritual calling upon
various demonic names scribed with fire in the Demonstone. The Demonstone lies at the top of a windowless
tower in New Sarshel. The tower’s exterior is a bland,
unexceptional gray; its interior is filled with all manner
of demonic horrors.
144
Impiltur is no longer the peaceable kingdom of a century earlier.
Lyrabar
Relocated Port;
Population
50,000
Lyrabar is long
and narrow,
stretching along
the seacoast for
nearly a mile.
Most of its port
remains high
and dry, however. Newer,
smaller dock
facilities keep the city on the map. Lyrabar is known
for its thriving community of thieves, who have made
a secret arrangement with the city watch—as long as
the thieves do not target the watch, they operate in
relative freedom.
In addition to thieves’ gangs, Lyrabar hosts several companies of demon-hunters. The adventurers
regularly strike out into Impiltur’s interior, intent on
bringing home a demonic trophy. Such trophies have
high value here and in other countries.
New Sarshel
Port City; Population 30,000
Because New Sarshel was able to keep pace with
the retreating Sea of Fallen Stars when it mattered
most, it captured a volume of trade and imports that
Lyrabar and other western port cities previously
enjoyed. Unlike the rest of Impiltur, New Sarshel
enjoys the favor of Telflamm’s trade from the Great
Dale, and its fortunes continue to wax. Several members of the Grand Council reside in New Sarshel,
including the influential head of House Marhana, the
wizened and little-seen Behroun Marhana. Tavern
talk has it that magic, perhaps of a sinister nature,
sustains Lord Marhana’s life. All know that his rise to
power occurred roughly eighty years ago, during the
decades after the lowering of the Sea of Fallen Stars.
6/18/08 8:07:46 AM
The Lake of Steam region is a hodgepodge of varying
interests, bustling trade, and frequently changing
boundaries. Independent city-states dot the north
shore of the steaming lake. Small countries founded
or conquered by people of many races, faiths, and
agendas lie to the south. The gradual desertification
of the fields and forests southeast of the lake has
intensified squabbles for usable land.
Tendrils reaching from the Plaguewrought Land to
the northwest sometimes touch the edges of the Lake
of Steam, and strange, spellscarred marine creatures
hunt the length of the volcanically warmed waters.
Lake of Steam Lore
History DC 15: In the Year of the Halflings’
Lament (1386 DR), the Arnrock erupted violently,
wiping out the Quick Folk that had settled around the
old crater. The volcano is now a taller, wider mountain in whose caldera lava continually bubbles to the
surface. The Arnrock is a dangerous location, and
indeed, the entire region fears that its next eruption
could be even more cataclysmic than the previous
one.
Streetwise DC 10: The Border Kingdoms on the
southern shore are the homes of powerful adventurers of many types, each seeking to carve out a piece
of land and rule it in the manner he or she feels is
best . . . at least until the next would-be ruler decides
to take over. Wizard towers, monasteries, fortresses,
and temples dot the region. The structures are only
slightly more enduring than
their owners, both of which
are replaced time and again.
pearls prized from the Lake of Steam, streaked with
gold, purple, and iridescent green, command great
attention from Amnian merchants.
Lake of Steam
Enclosed Saltwater Inlet
The stinking yellow water of the Lake of Steam (also
called Arnaden) is a testament to volcanic activity.
The inlet is as shallow as a pan, measuring less than
200 feet in the deepest areas—most of the bay’s eastern arm is only a few dozen feet deep.
The warm, iron-laden, undrinkable waters are
rich in minerals that spur weeds, shellfish, and fish
to grow to great size. Arnaden has been called the
Breadbasket of the Seas. Dolphins are common, as
are sharks and leeches larger than a human. Predators here grow extremely big, too, from birds and
otters to dragon turtles. The most dangerous ones are
so extremely plaguechanged that their original form
is hard to guess. The lake is also known for the variegated pearls of its oysters.
The islands in the Lake of Steam change as volcanic stacks collapse and rise but are concentrated
at the western end. The Arnrock’s bubbling caldera
now covers the remnants of a halfling settlement,
an unmarked grave for those foolish enough to build
their homes on an active volcano.
The Strait of Storms (also known as the Suldolphor
Strait or the Wide Water) links Arnaden with the
Shining Sea. Water flows through the passage dangerously fast. To voyage north into the bay, ships wait
on strong winds and favorable tides, sometimes for
days.
L AKE OF STEAM
LAKE OF STEAM
Settlements
and Features
The most significant feature of
the region is the body of water
that gives it its name.
Ankhapur
Pearl Trading City; Population 29,000
The city’s tumultuous past has
given way to an industrious
pearling industry that touches
almost every resident, one way
or another. The magnificent
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6/18/08 8:07:47 AM
LURUAR
Luruar, also known as the Silver Marches, is a league
of three strong cities in the North, populated primarily by humans, half-elves, elves, and eladrin. Nearby
dwarven citadels are close allies but no longer part of
the confederacy.
Luruar has gained a reputation for safe, friendly
cities surrounded by an extensive wilderness dotted
with all sorts of ruins, rugged monster lairs, and lost
shrines. Because the region’s extreme wilderness lies
in such close proximity to points of civilization, the
kingdom serves as the unofficial base for several nonaffiliated adventuring companies.
Enemies of Luruar include the orcs of ManyArrows to the north, the Netherese and their
puppet monsters in the eastern marches, and the
nearby Underdark realms of Menzoberranzan and
Gracklstugh.
Luruar Lore
History DC 15: Before she passed away, High
Lady Alustriel of Silverymoon founded a mutual
defense league in the region. Her son Methrammar
Aerasumé came to head a more diminished league.
The dwarves of Adbar, Mithral Hall, and Felbarr
parted ways with the others, unwilling to compromise
their own defenses by shoring up the smaller settlements in the area. The dwarves remain potentially
powerful allies of Luruar but are not always reliable.
Streetwise DC 20: Methrammar has reached
an advanced age, and choosing the next High Lord
HARPERS OF LURUAR
The Faerûn-spanning organization known as the Harpers disbanded nearly a century ago. However, in the
city of Everlund is Moongleam Tower, a Harper hold of
old. When Netheril returned, a remnant of the old organization re-formed. Under the leadership of Eaerlraun
Shadowlyn, the small organization is dedicated to one
purpose: opposing the growing power of the Shadovar.
When Eaerlraun was later assassinated by Shadovar assassins for his effrontery, the old, oft-ignored rule of keeping
one’s Harper membership secret gained new meaning
and purpose.
Even with the assassination of Eaerlraun, the fledgling
organization persists. Today, Moongleam Tower serves as
the only known Harper hold in all Faerûn. Rather than
housing Harpers, the clandestine leadership based in
the tower is a patron to all who wish to take the secret
pledge against the Shadovar and all ill that emerges from
Shadow.
146
of Luruar is the talk of the league. Each member city
has its own distinct government and traditions. Some
think the High Lordship should remain a meritocratic position. Others maintain that the post should
rotate through the member cities, or even be done
away with. Methrammar’s wife, the elf Gaerradh, has
been put forward as a possible successor, but some
folks think that would go too far in establishing the
High Lordship as a dynasty.
Settlements and
Features
Luruar’s major settlements are Silverymoon, Sundabar, and Everlund. A number of smaller member
towns and villages in the vicinity benefit from the
league’s protection.
Everlund
Walled City; Population 23,000
Located on the banks of the Rauvin River, Everlund
is an active mercantile community. A thick stone wall
is pierced in five places by the city’s gates. Like the
spokes of a wheel, straight streets lead from each gate
to Bell Market at the city center. City architecture
was designed to accommodate the needs of trade caravans—hostelries feature stables and wagon parking,
and streets are well cobbled and in good repair.
Glimmerwood
Vast North Luruar Forest
This wide forest’s uninterrupted expanse includes
the previously separate Moonwood, Druarwood,
Cold Wood, and the Night Trees. Favorable growing
conditions over the last century have allowed these
individual woods to become a single forest.
The western eaves of the Glimmerwood shade
ettins, orcs, Uthgardt barbarians, and red tigers
beneath pine and spruce. The Uthgardt are beholden
to their shamans. They fell only sanctified trees, build
fires only in blessed pits, and avoid any overgrown
ruins labeled taboo. Overall, the Uthgardt are a
superstitious, if fierce and bloodthirsty, people.
The northern Glimmerwood rises sharply toward
the Spine of the World. Forested ridges climb ever
upward, though the trees are thinner here, dwindling
to spruce and fir. In addition to orcs and human savages, the northern Glimmerwood is stalked by frost
giants and hill giants that come down from higher icy
abodes to hunt game in richer areas.
Eastern Glimmerwood (sometimes still called the
Moonwood by locals) is dominated by pines, shadowtops, and duskwoods. Though fey and woodcutters
inhabit the southern fringe of this expanse, most
of the trees are the acknowledged territory of the
skin-changers, the People of the Black Blood. These
lycanthrope tribes still worship Malar, despite his
6/18/08 8:07:48 AM
LURUA R
reduced status. They raid nearby communities, kidnapping prominent members of communities as far
away as Silverymoon for their animalistic rituals.
Silverymoon
Elven City of Renown; Population 40,000
Silverymoon is the Gem of the North, a center of
learning and a symbol of greatness. It is a beautiful place of ancient trees and soaring towers, with
curving lines and garden plantings adorning every
nook and balcony. Aerial steeds carry riders across
the skies, magic and learning are revered, music and
laughter echo in the streets, and the city is celebrated
for its fascinating shops brimming with maps, books,
art, and items of esoteric lore.
Silverymoon boasts a conservatory of music, a
great library, parks, and castlelike residences of noble
folk. It boasts temples and shrines to such deities
as Mielikki, Oghma, Silvanus, Sune, Tymora, and
long-dead gods (the old temple to Mystra still stands,
but now as a memorial shrine and monument to the
goddess of magic). The arcane-oriented University of
Silverymoon comprises several formerly separate colleges, including The Lady’s College, Miresk’s School
of Thaumaturgy, and Fochluchan.
The city’s army, the Knights in Silver, circulates
constantly and lends detachments to the Luruar confederacy for patrols between the three main cities.
Silverymoon’s famed magical wards of protection
faltered during the Spellplague and have not yet
regained their original strength. On rare occasions,
though, a particular ward flares into life for unknown
reasons, altering just-completed rituals in sometimes
bizarre ways.
NOTED WAY STATIONS
OF SILVERYMOON
Among the watering holes of Silverymoon, the following
are well respected.
Son of the Goat: Located north of the Moonbridge, the
Son of the Goat tavern is built where its forerunner, the
Dancing Goat, stood before a fire consumed it. The Son of
the Goat is every bit as renowned for its raucous revelry at
all hours as its predecessor. Dancing, flirting, and singing
are never-ending pastimes, all fueled by a cellar boasting
hundreds of vintages. Pickpockets and other professionals
are drawn to the tumult.
Golden Oak Inn: This historic inn features cozy, rustic
rooms, dim flagstoned passages, fragrant herbs, and pots
and window boxes full of well-tended plants. All the
rooms open off a central atrium dominated by a gargantuan oak that rises into the open sky. The tree’s branches
are alight with glimmering lanterns, giving soft light to
the tables beneath.
Tombs of Deckon Thar: Seven wight-haunted
tombs shudder in the cold grip of the Mound King,
a plaguechanged wight with powers unknown but
whispered to be terrible. The tombs were once the
secret hoards of bandit lords called the Chieftains in
Gold, who dominated the western Nether Mountains
centuries ago. They sallied from a great keep and
buried their dead in barrows filled with ill-gotten
loot. One of the seven tombs was plundered by a
group of salvagers, and vengeance found them all
as they made their way back to their Silverymoon
base. In each case, the dismembered corpses were
discovered, sans loot and equipment, with the message “Disturb not the Mound King” inscribed in their
flesh.
Tower of the Tree Slaker: In the Glimmerwood,
a square tower overgrown with vines stands in a
shallow vale. The keep is guarded by animate vines,
shambling mounds, and burrowing roots. Its master
nourishes a botanical monstrosity growing inside
by “watering” it with the blood of elves and humans.
This vegetable entity was grown from the plaguechanged seed of an oak tree.
Xammux: A ravine marked by a few standing
stones can be found south of the Nether Mountains
in the eaves of the High Forest. Cut into the ravine’s
side is a stone door on which symbols of warning are
lightly scratched. Beyond is an underground complex,
apparently hundreds of years abandoned and partly
flooded. Animate fungus creatures stalk the moist
upper halls, and pale monstrosities swim the flooded
vaults. The meaning of the word Xammux remains
elusive.
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6/18/08 8:07:48 AM
LUSKAN
The cesspool of the world, Luskan is a city stewing in
its own rot. Once it was a thriving port anchoring the
northern end of the Trade Way, but decades of social
unrest and rampant crime have left it largely abandoned. Now Luskan is the exclusive territory of rival
street gangs, monsters, and vermin. A middle-class
citizen of Luskan would be a beggar in any other city
in the North.
Luskan Lore
History DC 20: In the Year of the Haunting
(1377 DR), Captain Deudermont of the pirate hunter
Sea Sprite broke the stranglehold of a collection of
pirates and evil wizards over Luskan to briefly serve
as governor. Deudermont’s reign was short—the populace was too accustomed to the corruption-as-usual
practices of the former city masters. The City of Sails
ultimately fell back into the hands of the surviving
high captains, who immediately began to fight among
themselves. Within a decade all four had either been
killed or run off.
Left without any central government, even a corrupt one, there was no hope left for Luskan. Rival
gangs of thieves and pirates have been fighting, street
by street and alley by alley, ever since. In the ensuing decades, numerous attempts have been made
by master thieves, pirate captains, bandit kings, and
monsters ranging from kobolds to beholders to take
control of the city, but nothing resembling a government has stayed in power
for more than a few
months.
Streetwise DC 15:
Huge tracts of Luskan lie
in ruins—four thousand
people inhabit a city
built to accommodate
ten times that many.
The port is now useless,
crowded with the halfsunken hulks of the last
ships unlucky enough to
tie up here, including the
once-mighty Sea Sprite. No
central leadership, and
nothing even remotely
resembling a city watch,
exists. On a walk through
the streets of Luskan, one
encounters rats and other
vermin the size of horses,
148
roaming gangs collecting whatever meager spoils the
rubble might still yield, and dead people and animals
rotting in the streets or floating face down in the
filthy, disease-ridden Mirar River.
Thieves and other outlaws who flee justice from
places such as Waterdeep are never pursued past the
gates of Luskan. No dungeon cell in another northern
city could possibly be a worse fate. This sort of “immigration” is primarily how the population replenishes
itself.
Sites and Features
Getting around in Luskan is an adventure. You never
know if you’ll accidentally wander into the territory
of a blood-crazed gang of thieves, wererats, or Shou
yakuza.
The Broken Bridges: All three of the great
bridges that once spanned the Mirar River are
smashed. Attempts are occasionally made to repair
them, sometimes with just a few ropes—so that the
gang responsible for the repairs can charge a toll
to cross. In the chaos of the City of Anarchy, these
makeshift crossings never last long. Diving into
the filthy, disease-laden, monster-infested river is
attempted only by the desperate or the insane. Most
Luskars content themselves with staying on their side
of the waterway.
Host Tower of the Arcane: Once the home of the
Arcane Brotherhood, this strange ruin is haunted by
undead. Lesser creatures roam the area around the
structure; greater threats are entombed below. Few
dungeons are more dangerous than this one, and the
locals won’t go anywhere near it.
6/18/08 8:07:50 AM
Amid the eternally snow-capped peaks of the Spine
of the World Mountains is the orc realm known as
the Kingdom of Many-Arrows. For the most part, the
nation is confined to mountains through which icy
winds constantly shriek.
Many-Arrows Lore
History DC 15: The original orc king Obould
survived his now-legendary encounter with the drow
hero Drizzt. He was scarred, but he took from that
duel newfound strength and clarity of purpose. In
the end, he united the disparate tribes of the Spine
of the World into a cohesive army. Leaving Drizzt and
the dwarves to their own ends, Obould sealed off the
territory he had claimed in the mountains. Here and
there are posted crudely written border-markers on
which is written “Kingdom of Many-Arrows.”
The creation of a unified, relatively stable orc society provided the other powers of the region a single
entity to negotiate with, contain, or fight. Mithral
Hall, the dwarven citadels, and Nesmé were tired of
war and curious about the orcs attempting to become
civilized.
A hundred years on, the orcs have largely succeeded in keeping this local coalition of tribes
together. Though the kings who ruled after Obould
haven’t enjoyed his popularity, they have kept the
kingdom together most of the time. The region suffered a few civil wars, and for a decade the realm was
split. Since the Year of the Malachite Shadows (1460
DR), however, the orcs have maintained a single kingdom of their own.
MITHRAL HALL
Situated between Many-Arrows and Luruar is the most
famous dwarfhold of northern Faerûn. Though old King
Bruenor has passed away, the symbol of Clan Battlehammer (a foaming beer mug) remains the realm’s standard.
Mithral Hall’s underground expanse lies beneath Fourpeak Mountain south of the Spine of the World. A pair of
massive, heavily guarded granite portals marks the main
gate. The hall’s upper levels are trap-filled tunnelscapes
designed to thwart invaders. The middle levels include
workshops and mithral mines. Beneath those lies the
Undercity, the living center of Mithral Hall. Still deeper
are tunnels sealed and warded against potential threats
from the Underdark.
Streetwise DC 15: The Kingdom of ManyArrows exists alongside the dwarves and humans of
the North in a tenuous peace. These bitter enemies
tolerate each other most of the time, even trading,
and see occasional friendships arise. Even so, the area
could explode into war any second, and has done so
from time to time.
The current orc ruler, King Obould XVII, continues a mostly unbroken dynastic line that began when
Obould strode the North, unifying disparate tribes
with fire and sword.
Settlements and
Features
An endless, unbreakable wall of frigid peaks holds
many threats, including the seat of the Kingdom of
Many-Arrows.
Dark Arrow Keep
Capital Fortress; Population 2,000
King Obould unified the mountain orcs beneath his
harsh banner over a century ago, and an orc king
still rules from the same citadel. Rambling and well
defended, Dark Arrow Keep is renowned for its massive weight of stone, blind alleys, crude traps, and
confounding corridors raked by hidden arrow slits.
From his skull-adorned, horned throne in the
keep’s central chamber, King Obould XVII holds his
kingdom of brutish orcs in thrall. As with all previous
kings, he sometimes finds it necessary to mete out
lethal punishment as an example to his chieftains.
This punishment is administered in the Pit, an arena
where a victim is given a sword to defend against an
array of giants, monsters, and better-armored and
armed veteran orcs. An orc who has seen the bottom
of the Pit and lived receives a pardon. (Obould XVII
makes certain to administer a slow-acting poison to
Pit victims he doesn’t want to see alive again.)
M A N Y- A R R O W S
MANY-ARROWS
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6/18/08 8:07:51 AM
MOONSEA
The Moonsea proper is a deep natural lake, surrounded by a fragmented patchwork of lands and
city-states ruled by despots, humanoids, and savages. The area is infamous for its bleak landscapes,
harsh winters, ravaging dragons, cutthroat pirates,
and rapacious tyrants. Commerce exists between
hard, heartless city-states such as Hillsfar, Melvaunt,
and Mulmaster. Only the strong survive, however:
Trading costers and merchant houses compete with
knife, fire, and poison. Many notorious ruins lie in
this region, including Zhentil Keep, the Citadel of
the Raven, and spider-haunted Sulasspryn. Tombs,
buried catacombs, and monster lairs also abound in
the Moonsea hinterlands, drawing adventurers from
every corner of Faerûn.
Moonsea Lore
History DC 10: A few years after reestablishing
their realm in the desert of Anauroch, the Shadovar
moved against Zhentil Keep, which formerly contended for control over the Moonsea, the northern
Dalelands, and the empty lands west of the great
desert. The Zhents fought furiously, but the Netherese
prevailed. Zhentil Keep was razed, as was the Citadel
of the Raven. The Black Network of the Zhentarim
was broken.
The Shadovar attempted to colonize the citadels
they had razed, but Coronal Ilsevele of Myth Drannor
struck an uneasy alliance with Hillsfar, Melvaunt,
and Thentia to prevent Netheril from achieving this
goal.
Streetwise DC 15: This region is dotted with
city-states and robber baronies, some old, some new.
Mulmaster is the center of Bane’s worship in Faerûn
and, some say, the ideological heir to the Zhentarim.
THAR
The Great Gray Land of Thar is a windswept, broken
moor with a harsh climate. Orcs, ogres, and other humanoids lair in Thar and the nearby mountains, sometimes
threatening the human cities of the northern Moonsea.
Recently, the Blood Skull orc tribe destroyed the trademeet site of Glister and launched an attack against the
small city of Hulburg. The monsters were ultimately
repulsed with heavy losses. A dozen lesser tribes of goblins, ogres, and other such creatures are now scrambling
to establish dominance, given the power vacuum created
by the Blood Skull’s setback. Manticores, giant lizards,
bulettes, and other terrors also roam the land.
150
Voonlar, Teshwave, Phlan, and Thentia are small
realms where Myth Drannor and Netheril quietly
fence for influence.
Aside from Netheril, the quarreling realms of the
Moonsea Lands are collectively threatened by the
tribesfolk of the Ride, the orcs of Thar, and the monsters of the Border Forest. The Cult of the Dragon is
whispered to have a foothold somewhere in the area
as well.
Settlements and
Features
The Moonsea region is a frontier ripe with opportunity, standing as a buffer between southern elven
lands and the darker, sinister lands of the Ride and
Thar. Cities rise quickly, built on nerve and wealth,
only to fall in wars or raids. The Moonsea’s numerous
ruins reflect its long and violent past.
Most traffic within the region is shipborne, since
roads and good trails between settlements are almost
nonexistent. For travelers on foot, it is a long way
between comfortable inns, and no safe campsite
exists.
Hillsfar
Gateway City; Population 35,000
Perched on a rocky bluff overlooking the Moonsea,
Hillsfar is an important trade city. Metalwork, quarried stone, livestock, and furs from the northern
city-states come through Hillsfar on their way to
Cormyr and Sembia. Wine, grain, and ale of southerly lands passes through the gateway city bound for
the north. Hillsfar is ostensibly neutral, but in fact its
power runs from Teshwave to Elventree.
A contentious senate made up of wealthy
merchant-nobles and important guildmasters purportedly governs the city, but its thirty-one members
accomplish little. Since the senate rarely agrees on
anything, true control of the city falls to the First
Lord, Torin Nomerthal. Head of a powerful family,
First Lord Torin is a clever, calculating man who
hides his sharp mind behind a genial guise. Normally
the senate chooses a new First Lord from its membership once every seven years, but Torin is well into his
third term, having now governed Hillsfar for close
to twenty years. A strong mages’ guild and a large,
well-paid standing army known as the Tower Guard
(so named for the First Lord’s Tower, the citadel of
Hillsfar) keep the city and its surroundings safe from
bandits and monsters.
Hillsfar maintains an uncomfortable peace with
Myth Drannor. For years, the lords of the city-state
have desired to clear and settle more of the forest
lands to their south, but the power of the Coronal
6/18/08 8:07:52 AM
MOONSEA
deters them. As a result,
Hillsfar tries to ignore
the fey kingdom as much
as possible. It deals with
Myth Drannor only when
forced to—for example, by
the threat of Netherese
expansion in the western
Moonsea lands.
Mulmaster
Oppressive City; Population 50,000
Mulmaster is a center for commerce, intrigue, and
the worship of Bane. Nestled among the barren rocks
of the Earthspur Mountains, Mulmaster relies on
fishing and trade from its iron foundries to feed its
populace. The city smells strongly of half-rotted fish
and the tang of molten iron. The odor is nauseating to
visitors, but residents soon become accustomed to it.
The city is supposedly governed by the Council of
Blades, a group of merchants and nobles. The House
of the Black Lord, Bane’s temple in Mulmaster, has
several Blade Council members, thus creating a formidable voting bloc. Despite this advantage, Bane’s
efforts are being hampered by Blades devoted to
other deities or to their own lust for power.
Crime is rampant in Mulmaster. Thieves, fences,
and assassins are plentiful, and the largest criminal
organizations are well represented on the Council of
Blades, either through direct membership or through
the purchase of a particular member’s favor.
Pillar of Fire: A magical location imbued with
elemental fire is buried deep inside the southernmost
tip of the Galena Mountains. The interconnected caverns leading to the Pillar’s chamber are overrun by
fungal growth and ogre squatters. Here and there are
broken summoning conduits to the Elemental Chaos.
Ruins of the Raven: What’s left of the Citadel
is scattered across the western slopes of the Dragonspine Mountains. Before Netheril invaded, the
complex was a chain of interconnected fortresses
stretching for roughly 10 miles through the mountains. Today most of the flanking towers and minor
fortresses are weed-sprouting rubble heaps. Miles
of tunnels wind back and forth deep in the rock
beneath the old defensive wall. A handful of Zhentarim agents have returned to the mostly intact central
citadel in recent years, and are taking steps to rebuild
their former bastion.
Ruins of Zhentil Keep: Once the strongest city
on the Moonsea, Zhentil Keep was largely destroyed
by Netheril years ago. The secret society known as
the Zhentarim, or the Black Network, was driven out
of its seat of power; it now lurks in the fortresses of
Darkhold and Wyvernwatch in distant lands.
The wreckage of the old city’s northerly districts
is a dismal pirate den and bandit town, lawless and
violent. Ships belonging to a loose league of corsairs
known as the Black Moon Brotherhood often descend
on this wretched place, selling their captives into slavery and taking on new crew members desperate or
wicked enough to sign on.
Across the Tesh River to the south, the walled
core of the old city is a half-razed ruin shadowed by
relentless twilight and half-cast curses. Unlike the
picked-over ruins on the opposite bank, the southerly
portion of Zhentil Keep yet contains unlooted treasuries, shrines, and wizard workshops. Overall, the
ruin of Zhentil Keep harbors hundreds of separate
adventure sites, each one offering its own dangers
and rewards. Traveling to and from such dungeons,
however, requires dealing with the ubiquitous, roving
undead. The unnatural dimness allows day-fearing
undead to walk even at noon, turning the ruin into a
haven for such creatures. Several factions, controlled
by intelligent undead or in one case a living necromancer, vie for this valuable territory.
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6/18/08 8:07:53 AM
MOONSHAE ISLES
The Moonshaes are a cold cluster of rocky islands
cloaked in mists and covered in deep woods. Tumult
and war stalk the islands—the kingdoms of old are
under threat from new powers that seek to control
the waterlocked lands.
Moonshaes Lore
History DC 15: In the Year of the Unstrung
Harp (1371 DR), Northlander kings throughout the
Sea of Moonshae swore fealty to High Queen Alicia
Kendrick. For the first time in their stormy history,
both Northlanders and Ffolk were united under a
single banner. With grand ceremony, the High Queen
signed a proclamation marking the birth of the
United Moonshae Isles.
History DC 30: In the decade leading up to the
Spellplague, the planar barrier separating the Feywild from Faerûn weakened, permitting otherworldly
creatures to pass freely to Myrloch Vale and the forest
deeps of Winterglen. On the night of the spring equinox in the Year of the Risen Elfkin (1375 DR), the
ancient fey capital of Karador rose from the crystal
clear waters of Myrloch. High Lady Ordalf, a noble
eladrin, declared herself queen over all the ancestral
lands of Gwynneth.
Streetwise DC 15: The Moonshaes face a threefold threat. First, mercenary bands hired by Amn
control the southern island of Snowdown; Callidyrr,
badly weakened by the war against the separatists,
struggles to recover to this day. Tribes of orcs, ogres,
and ettins have increased their attacks on settlements
along the coast of Moray. Worse, sinister fey have
moved into Dernall Forest on Alaron, breaking a
decades-old armistice.
Settlements and
Features
The Moonshaes consist of a handful of major islands
and hundreds of smaller isles. Even the smallest isles
boast at least one or two villages.
Alaron
High King’s Isle; Population 70,000
Ruled from the city of Callidyrr, this island is the
most powerful Moonshae kingdom. The rugged
Fairheight Mountains to the north separate the
traditional lowland homes of the Ffolk from the
Northlanders who congregate in the realm of Gnarhelm to the north. Intermarriage has eliminated the
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cultural divide between the two peoples in all but
name. Customs and respect for the sea and the woods
are shared.
The Kendrick dynasty yet rules in Caer Callidyrr,
a mighty castle overlooking the sprawling port city of
the same name. Derid Kendrick is the current High
King. His most pressing concern is to retake ancestral
holdings on Snowdown stolen by Amn-sponsored
mercenaries, and to establish a lasting peace with the
fey kingdom of Sarifal.
Only portions of Dernall Forest remain tamed by
the nation’s druids—the interior is a shadowy realm
beset by the worst of the Feywild. Every day, battles
are fought on the border. Sometimes the druids win.
More often, the fomorian influence grows.
Gwynneth
Fey-Controlled Isle; Population 50,000
Gwynneth today is a breathtakingly magical place,
home to a race of noble eladrin claiming to be of
the same stock as the mythical fey creator race of
old. Radiating outward from the shining city of
Karador at the heart of Myrloch Vale, the valleys,
forests, and waterways of Gwynneth are filled with
lush vegetation, fantastic beasts, and the laughter of
sylvan creatures dancing beneath the stars. This land
is called Sarifal by some of its fey inhabitants, and
humans are no longer welcome on its shores.
The old human kingdom of Corwell has not
existed for over a century. The ruins of Caer Corwell
rest atop a rocky promontory above the terminus of
Corwell Firth several hundred feet below. King Kendrick has vowed to see the ancestral home of his family
restored.
Oman
Giant-Ruled Wilderness; Population 3,000
This central island was once ruled from Iron Keep,
the most feared and violent of the Northlanders’ kingdoms. A brief surge in settlement following the Treaty
of Oman years ago was reversed when a plague of
cyclopses and fomorians burst from the Grampalt
RUATHYM
This barren island lies more than 200 miles north of
the Moonshaes. Ruathym is the ancestral home of the
Northlanders, the savages who colonized the northern
Moonshaes and Luskan. Scattered steadings and villages
cluster around the isle’s fjords and inlets. The largest
settlement is Ruathym, a city of nearly 6,000. Ruathym
has avoided most of the tribulations visited upon the
Moonshaes by interdicting all arriving ships. Luskan’s
collapse has resulted in a diminished threat from that
traditional enemy, and Ruathym has grown less strident
and warlike.
6/18/08 8:07:54 AM
MOONSHAE ISLES
Highlands. The giants overran all colonies of
the Ffolk and Northlanders, slaughtering their
villages; most vestiges of civilization on the isle
were overwhelmed. Today Oman is the wildest and most dangerous isle of the Moonshaes.
Only fools seeking death set foot on its rocky
shores.
Norland
Northlander Stronghold; Population
30,000
Norland is home to Rogarsheim, a warlike and
powerful Northlander realm. The Stormbanner
Wolves, unlike the Northlanders on Alaron,
are culturally distinct from the Ffolk. They
remain suspicious and warlike even against
their long-time neighbors. Like western Moray,
Norland has seen an upswing in giant activity
from its southern mountains. Stalwart defense
by Northlander and Ffolk settlements working
together have thus far checked the invasions.
Stormbanner Hold is the greatest stronghold
of the Northlanders. The hold perches upon the
east central coast of the isle overlooking the Bay
of Norland. Norland remains a warlike realm,
focusing most of its energy against Amn’s colonies in the south. Northlanders take special
delight in overtaking and sinking Amnian merchant vessels that sail between Snowdown and
the mainland.
Moray
Lycanthrope Badlands; Population 3,000
Moray, the westernmost of the major Moonshae
islands, is infested by a bloodthirsty sect called
the Black Blood tribe. Every dark of the moon,
the lycanthropes descend into a secret cave beneath
the granite peaks of the Orcskull Mountains. There,
thirteen worshipers perform a ritual sacrifice around
a glyph-inscribed stone slab. When the Black Bloods
found this cave and its deep shrine, they hallowed
it to Malar and continue to revere that now-reduced
entity. The primitive temple was originally the work
of ancient people who worshiped entities possibly primordial in nature.
Snowdown
Amnian Isle; Population 20,000
Amn’s mercenaries and merchant houses are bent
on subjugating the islands, and they’ve made a good
start in Snowdown. Since the early 1400s, the Ffolk
of Snowdown have been subject to Amnian law and
rule from the mainland.
Lady Erliza Daressin is the Viceroy of Westphal;
she keeps her status as a vampire a secret. The
Amnians buttress their control through the threat
of violence against members of the royal family. The
isle’s resources are being consumed by Amn at a ferocious rate.
Citadel Umbra: Deep in the forest of Winterglen
on Gwynneth is a mound bearing the silhouette of a
desolate tower. This is Citadel Umbra—a point where
a particularly foul portion of the Feywild intersects
with Toril, creating a nexus of unpleasantness and a
point of contagion.
Sinister fey creatures are thick in the area. Feygrove chokers, howling hags, displacer beasts, dusk
unicorns, and even cyclopses are likely to be encountered. The tower contains several sculptures whose
presence keeps the interface open and the structure
anchored in place. Below the tower, the mound is
riddled with tunnels and halls alive with yet more
evil and amoral fey.
15 3
6/18/08 8:07:55 AM
MURGHÔM
Between the high plateau of Thay and the Dust
Desert of Raurin lies the oft-conquered land of
Murghôm. Murghôm shook free of Mulhorandi bonds
when that nation collapsed, only to fall under the
dominion of fiercer masters—the dragon princes.
Murghôm Lore
History DC 20: When an epidemic ravaged the
metallic dragons of the Copper Mountains in the
Year of True Omens (1409 DR), several survivors fled
south, crossing over the dark eaves of the Great Wild
Wood. One fleeing dragon named Skalnaedyr, more
through accident than design, hit upon an ingenious
method to assure his survival. Hungry and feverish from his close call with the draconic illness, he
alighted in a village called Phannaskull. The village
ataman thought to protect his people by offering obeisance to the dragon. Taken aback, Skalnaedyr agreed,
becoming the first dragon prince and setting an
example for the swarm of dragons that would come
to follow him south from the mountains. To show his
respect, the ataman immediately changed the name
of the town to Skalnaedyr.
Other dragons fleeing the same infection soon
learned of Skalnaedyr’s ploy. After that, the largest
dragons each sought a village to rule, either through
fear, deceit, or promises of protection against later
waves of dragons that might be less diplomatic.
THE DRAGON PRINCES
Dragon princes are alert for landless wyrms looking to
find a town of their own. The landless search for princes
weak enough to pull down and replace. Some dragon
rulers seek to expand their holdings to more than one
city. They might send humanoid mercenaries to burn
the farms of another prince’s people, or to kidnap and
enslave them. Neither princes nor the landless ever
send mercenaries directly against another dragon. An
unspoken rule requires that humanoids remain in awe of
dragons—nothing should be done that would embolden
the subjugated or make them believe they could mount
a credible threat against a dragon.
Despite the low-level conflicts that arise between
princes from time to time, none has yet actively sought to
rule all the land as the first dragon king. Sometimes the
princes gather in a Council of Wyrms to discuss worrying
events. By tradition, the council is held in hidden Dracowyr, an earthmote miles above the Great Wild Wood.
Dragon does not fight dragon in Dracowyr.
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Streetwise DC 15: Murghôm’s cities and settlements are ruled by mighty dragons. Each dragon
prince claims a particular village and the region
around it. Most are served by a retinue of human
viziers, mercenaries, advisors, and chamberlains.
Humans not part of a prince’s coterie view those who
willingly serve a malicious dragon as traitors and
betrayers.
Some dragon princes are benevolent, others distant, and a few downright nasty. Some require the
name of the city they rule to be changed to their own;
others don’t care, as long as they receive monthly tribute in gold, jewels, and food.
Dragon princes regard dragonborn with suspicion,
knowing most of them have little love for draconic
kings.
Settlements and
Features
Most of Murghôm’s scattered towns each support a
dragon prince.
Dracowyr
Earthmote over Great Wild Wood
This mass of land floats unsupported 5 miles over
a forest known for its vicious beasts. The mote is a
mile long and half that wide. Dracowyr’s landscape
is scarred and twisted, thick with rocky spires and
ravines. A central area holds a castlelike structure
carved into the earthmote, granting external perches
for up to a hundred dragons, each on its own spire.
Below each spire are interior passages and chambers
large enough to support each dragon’s humanoid
coterie, if any.
Dracowyr is patrolled by its guardian Ananta, a
dragonborn who was saved by Skalnaedyr from a fate
she refuses to describe. For this act, she pledged her
life to the protection of Dracowyr.
Skalnaedyr
Largest Dragon-Ruled City; Population 10,000
This “crossroads of Murghôm” has grown from a
village to a city over the past seventy years, and the
winding streets and jumbled architecture are a
testament to this rapid growth. The newest parts of
the city are built around the palace of Skalnaedyr,
an elder blue dragon. Skalnaedyr is rarely seen, but
his vizier Merwena has the authority to speak in his
place.
The city has grown so large because Skalnaedyr
was the first dragon prince to give a measure of
respect and freedom to his human subjects. People
early on flocked to the city, finding work in various
trades. Other dragon princes have since attempted to
emulate Skalnaedyr, but most prefer to rule through
fear rather than respect.
6/18/08 8:07:58 AM
MURGHÔM
The Cult of the Dragon maintains
an active and visible presence from the
Dragon House. Those who run the Dragon
House do not preach the apocalyptic core
doctrine of the cult, saving that for diehard converts who work their way into the
organization over several years’ effort and
personal expense. The “real” cultists operate out of the nearby Tower of the Talon,
a foreboding edifice on the edge of the
Plains of Purple Dust.
Plots and
Adventure Sites
Drowned Necropolis: Undead
humans, animals, and monsters have long
infested the northern shore of Brightstar
Lake. No matter how many are destroyed,
more appear later to threaten fishers and
travelers who stray too near. Recently,
an expansive city carved of basalt was
discovered beneath Brightstar’s surface.
Shadowed and cold, the city’s streets are
filled with the silt of centuries. Dark meteoric stone
can be found everywhere, pulsing with life-sucking
shadow. According to remarkably preserved carvings in a central building, the stone was mined by the
city’s former residents and incorporated into art and
architecture, and even inlaid in weapons. In time,
the rock’s influence pulled the entire city into death
during one night of terrible screaming. The nature of
the dark stone is a mystery. Is it mined from a vaster
sculpture or structure, as is claimed by some waking
from nightmares in the vicinity?
Skalnaedyr’s Tomb: Skalnaedyr has already
had his tomb constructed, a grand affair in western
Murghôm, despite the fact that he is far from dead.
Like the pharaohs of vanished Mulhorand, he prepares ahead. The massive granite mausoleum has
the general shape of a monumental dragon sitting
in regal repose. Stairs lead up to an open mouth that
CULT OF THE DRAGON
The Cult of the Dragon is an organization dedicated
to undead dragon rulership over the entire world. The
tumults of the previous century have done little to
advance the cult’s goals but did present some important
omens. These omens include the rise of Murghôm as a
dragon-dominated land, the unlooked-for appearance
of dragonborn in Tymanther, and the rumors of dragon
empires in Returned Abeir. Invigorated by these events,
the Cult has come out of the shadows in a number of locations and begun openly serving its scaly masters.
The Cult of the Dragon is discussed further on
page 246.
houses the entrance, allowing visitors to view a series
of chambers engraved with images and stories of Skalnaedyr’s reign. Many walls are yet empty, waiting for
events to unfold. A sealed mithral portal will one day
hold Skalnaedyr’s mortal form. Or will it?
Many believe the entire tomb merely serves as a
doorway to the Feywild, or another realm even farther removed. In that remote location, Skalnaedyr
keeps a secret army, biding his days until he saves
Murghôm from some future threat—or becomes that
threat himself.
Tower of the Talon: This foreboding tower on the
edge of the Plains of Purple Dust rises up like twin
dragon fangs, fused but for the tips, which surmount
the tower like horns. Balconies and open bays are
numerous near the tower’s apex, perfect entrances for
dragons and other flying creatures. The structure is
home to a cell of the Cult of the Dragon and is named
in honor of Anabraxis the Black Talon, that group’s
ultimate authority. The cell has agents in the Dragon
House in the city of Skalnaedyr, and maintains contact with one or two dragon princes of Murghôm,
though most view the tower with suspicion.
The Tower of the Talon is organized like a military
keep and includes provisioning vaults, armories,
and barracks for a large force of human and dragonborn warriors. Quarters and a grand war room
serve the cultists’ upper echelon. The deepest cellar
in the catacombs beneath the tower contains a fossilized dracolich still mostly embedded in stone—work
on freeing it without damage is a slow and tedious
process.
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6/18/08 8:07:58 AM
MYTH DRANNOR
The small but vital realm of Myth Drannor is nestled
in the forest of Cormanthor. The region’s giant
maples, looming shadowtop trees, and towering oaks
seem a living testament to a forgotten green age, a
time in which humans were an afterthought. The
new Myth Drannor is not as powerful or widespread
as the realm that fell in the Year of Doom (714 DR),
but it’s still the strongest state between Sembia and
Thay.
Myth Drannor Lore
History DC 15: The fallen kingdom of Cormanthyr (now Myth Drannor) was refounded by Ilsevele
Miritar after the eladrin Crusade, led by her father
Seiveril Miritar, drove out the elf–demon spawn
known as daemonfey in the Year of Lightning Storms
(1374 DR). Ilsevele was an able and worthy Coronal, and over the course of a century she rebuilt the
ruined city, drove the drow of Auzkovyn and Jaelre
back into the Underdark, and checked Zhent and
Sembian designs on both the forest and the Dalelands nearby.
Streetwise DC 15: Unlike the remote fey kingdom of Evereska and even more distant Evermeet,
Myth Drannor is open and accessible. Even so, the
realities of its self-assumed responsibilities—watching
over Netheril—make it a cautious land where firsttime visitors are treated with suspicion.
Myth Drannor is allied with the Dales Council
and is currently on good terms with Cormyr. Coronal
Ilsevele and King Foril of Cormyr both understand
the threat posed by the Shadovar. Together with
KEY INHABITANTS OF
MYTH DRANNOR
Myth Drannor is ruled by Coronal Ilsevele Miritar, daughter of Seiveril Miritar, the leader of the eladrin Crusade
that drove out the daemonfey. Although Seiveril did not
live to see the refounding of the realm, his daughter still
governs the city just over a century later.
Ilsevele is considered by her subjects and allies to be
courageous, compassionate, determined, and plucky.
She is one of the fiercest adversaries of the Shadovar,
who have come to see her as their principal foe in the
region.
Ilsevele’s consort is Fflar Starbrow Melruth, who
serves as the High Captain of the city and the leader of
its army.
156
Silverymoon and Evereska, Cormyr and Myth Drannor attempt to stem Shadovar expansion.
The Empire of Netheril is an enemy of Myth
Drannor, but currently no direct confrontation
exists. The shades aren’t interested in owning the
forest of Cormanthor or dominating its denizens.
During Netheril’s original rule, a fey kingdom
thrived in Cormanthor, and the Netherese are
content to let the reconstituted realm exist. However, Myth Drannor’s continuing interference with
Netherese plans in Sembia, the Moonsea, and the
southern Dalelands seems likely to engender open
hostilities at some point.
Settlements and
Features
Deep, green forest once stretched unbroken from the
Sea of Fallen Stars north to the Tortured Land, west
through the Thunder Peaks passes, and around the
Stonelands to the Storm Horns. The Cormanthor
forest is much reduced from that ancient day but
remains a broadly canopied and beautiful realm.
Although the renewed kingdom of Myth Drannor
is a safe and stable place, several ruins in the wider
Cormanthor Forest remain serious threats to the
unwary. Old citadels sleep in the northeastern Elven
Court, and drow-infested tunnels lie beneath the
woods.
City of Myth Drannor
Eladrin Realm; Population 10,000
Myth Drannor is essentially a city-state, one that
has been largely restored to its old beauty. The city
features flourishing glades, wide forest meadows,
cobbled roads, and stately buildings—both free-standing structures and those incorporated into the boughs
and canopy of Cormanthor Forest. The population of
Myth Drannor is mostly eladrin, though a few thousand elves also call the city home.
A repaired mythal firmly seals the city’s numerous old portals and prevents planar intrusions
(even, ironically, from the Feywild). Current Myth
Drannor is smaller than its ancient footings; large
stretches of pristine forest now make up whole districts. These woods squat over haunted regions of
restless undead and deadly traps—many, but not all,
fully cleared out.
The work done to seal the countless gates and
portals riddling Myth Drannor and its environs is a
crucial advantage that Ilsevele enjoys in dealing with
the Shadovar. With extraplanar connections suppressed in the heart of the forest, shadow-dependent
wizards can’t easily bring their hostility into Myth
Drannor’s heart. On the other hand, the eladrin of
6/18/08 8:08:00 AM
Forest of Cormanthor
Woodland Enclosing Myth Drannor
Cormanthor is a beautiful high forest, worthy of
bards’ songs and poets’ f lights of f luttering adjectives. With the renewal of Myth Drannor in its
heart, the dangers of the forest are easy to ignore.
Travelers move with confidence beneath the whispering boughs and green canopies. Still, centuries
of magical portals, wards, and summonings have
left certain areas that only the skilled, wood-wise,
or magically gifted can expect to survive without
harm. Every year, Coronal Ilsevele commissions
a group of explorers to reconnoiter a particularly
dangerous section of the wood, and if possible, end
the threat or put clear boundaries on the particular
danger of a forest region.
likely demonic in origin. It is unclear who once lived
in the estate, when they were driven forth, or whether
they succumbed to magic so foul that they were
trapped forever in its shadowy grasp.
Vale of Lost Voices: This valley is named for
the ghosts that wander an ancient burial ground.
Rauthauvyr’s Road bisects the vale, and travelers
who stay on the road are safe enough. Those who
stray from the road into the forest risk encounters
with ghosts and guardian spirits who see strangers as
invaders and enemies to be slain. The area is sacred
to eladrin and elves—as long as they visit individually and remain respectful at all times, the spirits
leave them alone. Unmarked graves, headstones both
simple and grand, and mausoleums of various sizes
are scattered throughout the forest. Those who would
seek to loot them incur the wrath of both dead and
living fey folk.
MY TH DR ANNOR
Myth Drannor are unable to pierce the veil into the
Feywild and enjoy their ancient racial homeland—
at least, not while they remain in or close to Myth
Drannor.
Citadel of Fungi: One ancient citadel near the
old Moander’s Road features a layer of yellow-green
mold so thick that it obscures the structure’s architecture. Beneath the layer of corruption, a walled,
single-tower keep slowly crumbles beneath the
weight of mushrooms. Its dark, moist interior hallways are choked with puffballs and other fungi so
toxic that an animal graveyard of sorts litters the
forest in a 300-foot radius. These creatures made it
only so many paces before the inhaled poisons overcame them.
The vaults of the citadel are said to contain artwork of the previous realm, costly bits of magic
sculpture and likenesses of ancient eladrin from long
ago. With luck, the fungal infestation has not ruined
these treasuries. No one has managed to penetrate so
far and discern the truth, though, or even learn why
the rot has such a hold on the place. Some whisper it
is a remnant influence of Moander, an ancient power
of corruption whose body is said to lie beneath a high
hill 5 miles distant.
Demon Estate: This rambling structure is halfshaded by dimness supernatural in origin, likely
emanating from the Shadowfell. The fey of Myth
Drannor have essentially put the Demon Estate out of
mind, since it sits on a large section of forested land
miles from the city proper.
The Demon Estate squats at the end of a twisting
trail half a mile through progressively more gnarled
trees. Three stories high and an unknown number
deep, the house sounds with occasional screams of
rage, pain, and unnamed emotion. The voices are
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6/18/08 8:08:00 AM
NAJARA
Nagas, yuan-ti, and lizardfolk inhabit this monstrous
realm. Najara encompasses the eastern reaches of the
High Moor, the Serpent Hills, the Forest of Wyrms,
the Marsh of Chelimber, and the river valleys that
meander through the area. Its center lies in the Serpent Hills. For all its size, the existence of the realm
remains a point of debate, because it is not a state
or country in the human sense of those terms—the
monstrous denizens of the region don’t patrol their
borders or carry on any sort of commerce or relations
with nearby lands.
Najara Lore
History DC 25: The naga Terpenzi, slain by the
Shadowking, returned as a powerful undead entity.
Though it possesses power equal to that of exarchs,
Terpenzi has been enslaved to the will of successive
naga kings. It is bound by a relic called the Marlspire of Najara and holds the position of Guardian of
Najara.
The reigning King of Snakes is Jarant (Huge level
25 dark naga), who slew the previous king Ebarnaje
five years ago in a struggle that put Najara on the
map—at least as far as the realms of Elturgard and
Evereska are concerned. The short internal civil war
that preceded the power change saw great activity
among the yuan-ti and lizardfolk of the area. The
border nations had clear cause to be concerned that
war was mounting from the long-slumbering marshes
and hills.
Streetwise DC 25: As the King of Snakes, Jarant
proudly wears the Marlspire of Najara. He rules
unchallenged, but has not yet issued any edicts setting Najara on a war footing against its neighbors.
BOARESKYR BRIDGE
A bridge bearing the name of a now-vanished realm provides access across the Winding Water. Here passes the
Trade Way. The bridge is constructed of black granite and
contains a sculpted image on each end—one of the deity
Cyric, the other of an entity called Bhaal.
A contingent of Elturgard paladins maintains watch
over the bridge in a newly built miniature keep. After a
caravan bound for the theocracy disappeared while staying at the bridge caravanserai, the paladins felt they had
no choice but to patrol here, even though they don’t know
whom to blame for the caravan’s disappearance. Despite
Elturgard’s watchers, oathbound human slaves of Najara
pass across the bridge frequently, with Elturgard none the
wiser.
158
Other than claiming power for himself against the
aged former monarch, Jarant seems content to allow
Najara to continue the policy of obscurity that has
served the realm so long. Even so, Najara is now
widely known, if only as an area of interest to adventuring companies, since it contains ruins of all ages
that remain unexplored.
Streetwise DC 30: Some yuan-ti in Najara, disillusioned with their god Sseth, turned to the worship
of an interloper deity named Zehir. Despite the King
of Snakes’ ban on such devotion, the cult of Zehir has
become a real, if hidden, force within Najara.
Settlements and
Features
Najara is one of the largest and most potent kingdoms
in western Faerûn, though few are aware of that fact.
The land is littered with impressive ruins, including
ancient serpentfolk strongholds, centuries-abandoned
Netherese settlements, and the remnants of the collapsed human kingdom of Boareskyr.
Forest of Wyrms
Snake-Infested Forest
Despite the underlying rocky terrain, the Forest of
Wyrms is composed of great redwoods and thick
pines that soar to staggering heights. All manner of
serpents reside therein. Small communities of yuan-ti
are common, and the place is home to several youthful green dragons, whose alliance with the yuan-ti is
tenuous at best.
Several locations of interest lie in the forest,
including Ss’thar’tiss’ssun, one of the most ancient
ruins in Faerûn, and Thlohtzin, an old lich stronghold turned slave citadel by its new yuan-ti residents.
Although most steer clear of the ancient ruin, sinister
human and tiefling slavers travel to Thlohtzin to sell
their merchandise for ancient gold. The slaves are
then reapportioned throughout Najara.
Serpent Hills
Najara-Controlled Badlands
These rocky hills and difficult ravines roll along a
great expanse, broadening to the west until they
fade into the High Moor. Great mesas and red-clay
earthmotes dot the sky. The Serpent Hills ripple in
spectacular color, alternating between dark black
coal and green coppery tints, not unlike a snake’s
scaled hide. The ravines between the clawing hills
contain dying scrub brush and dry riverbeds that
only a few years ago trickled with water. The land has
turned crueler since.
Crypts dot the landscape, dating back to the era
following old Netheril’s fall. Some ruins are vacant,
their underlying crypts sealed. Many are home to
6/18/08 8:08:02 AM
NAJAR A
lizardfolk, nagas, and yuan-ti, all ostensibly subjects
of the King of Snakes. The breached tombs have been
plundered and form part of a network called the
Serpent Tunnels that extend beneath the hills. This
conduit for Najaran business is home to yuan-ti that
find the surface too dry.
Crypt of the Six: The crypts sprinkled through
the Serpent Hills are not Netherese—they were left
by Anauria, a survivor-state that rose from the rubble
of Netheril’s fall. Anauria persisted a little more than
400 years before it fell to one of the orc hordes that
periodically rampage from the north. Some of the
crypts of its nobles and kings, holed up in their last
bastion, are filled with treasure and ancient magic.
Others have been looted and reconstructed as domiciles for yuan-ti and their slaves.
The Crypt of the Six is composed of half a dozen
unbreached, catacomb-linked caverns containing the
remains of elder Anaurian counselors interred with
their immediate families. Like all Anaurian tombs,
the Crypt of the Six is defended by spell-wielding
mummies and guardian golems. This crypt is also
defended by a spatial distortion that forces would-be
tomb raiders to trek across portions of the Abyss. The
tumbling, demon-fraught landscape has proved an
impassable gantlet for yuan-ti and outlander explorers alike.
Ss’thar’tiss’ssun: The sarrukh, the yuan-ti progenitor race, built this temple-city thirty thousand
years ago, making it one of the oldest ruins in all
Faerûn. Ss’thar’tiss’ssun was abandoned after the
death of the deity it was built to exalt. It stood sealed
for thousands of years until it was restored by the
ancient naga Terpenzi and its followers, marking
Najara’s first flowering. However, in the Year of the
Moor Birds (90 DR), the Shadowking and other Netherese wizards slew Terpenzi and partially razed the
city.
Humans briefly inhabited the land above the
ruins, but their habitation, called Serpent’s Cowl, now
stands empty. The surface dwellers were annihilated
when the Netherese wards designed to keep out serpent kin failed roughly a hundred years ago.
The Shrine of the Cowled Serpents lies in the
heart of ruined Ss’thar’tiss’ssun. Over the last century,
yuan-ti have uncovered the shrine and often visit the
location. It is inhabited by all manner of monsters
and treasures dating back to the original Kingdom of
Snakes.
Thardresk Crypt: This crypt lies in the southern
Serpent Hills. Access is through a natural cavern
that opens in the shadowed face of a small hill. From
there, a narrow shaft leads down to a series of worked
mine tunnels and small chambers. The tunnels end
at a natural chasm buried when ancient Netheril fell,
containing an Anaurian crypt guarded by animated
swords, elaborate magic traps, wards, and undead.
Past explorers claim that the crypt is that of King
Thausimbel Thardresk, Anauria’s greatest monarch,
renowned for his swordcraft and jeweler’s eye. Other
explorers say that the tomb is false, an ancient ploy to
distract notice from a true but yet undiscovered complex of actual crypts spanning many levels and years
of Anaurian kings.
SS’KHANAJA,
NAJARA’S CAPITAL
Ss’khanaja is located in the western portion of the Serpent Hills near the High Moor. Beneath a small valley
surrounded by hills, the city encircles a narrow shaft that
plunges to the Underdark. A spiraling ramp coils down
the shaft, offering access to side chambers every quarterrevolution. The city is inhabited mostly by Najara’s ruling
class of nagas, their attendants, and their guards. Small
groups of yuan-ti and lizardfolk also live in the side chambers lining the shaft nearer the surface.
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6/18/08 8:08:03 AM
NARFELL
Narfell is a wintry country covered in infertile soil
and scraggly grass. Glaciers on Mount Nar reach
down from the peak and into the plains. Icelace Lake
is frozen nearly year-round. Bitter, killing winds blow
unceasingly.
From the backs of tall, shaggy horses, nomadic
folk hunt reindeer and wild oxen. Calling themselves
Nars, these fierce riders and archers supplement their
resources by raiding west into Damara, south into the
Great Dale, and even into northeastern Thesk. More
often, though, the tribes fight among themselves.
Narfell Lore
History DC 15: Recent decades have turned an
already frigid land colder. Nars adjusted to the colder
conditions, but the more persistent winter slowed
trade along the glorified track called the Long Road.
Many tribes fell to internecine bickering and raiding
into neighboring lands.
History DC 25: About thirty years ago, a few
desperate tribes recalled their heritage. Narfell was
once the heart of a nation that maintained its power
through pacts with various devils. Knowledge of
these ancient ways has reemerged among the Nars.
Streetwise DC 15: Although the craft of calling and securing planar entities within Narfell is
referred to as demonbinding, the practice was not so
limited. Ancient Nars made pacts with all kinds of
otherworldly beings, including devils. Strong tiefling
bloodlines are common throughout the Nar tribes,
and many tieflings occupy positions of power among
the nomads.
Streetwise DC 25: A few Nar tribes have taken
up permanent residence around ruins that previous
generations were content to let lie for over a thousand
years. Demonbinding is, after more than a millennium, being practiced once more in the remains of
ancient Narfell.
Settlements and
Features
Much of significance lies under the surface of Narfell
or among the ruins that top its desolate landscape.
Most Nars treat ancient sites with respect, and all
know that valuable items lie within such places. Nars
believe that venturing into a ruin is fine, but staying
at one is forbidden.
160
Bildoobaris
Trademeet; Population 30,000 (summer)
During the majority of the year, this place is nothing
more than a vast stretch of flat land cut by winding
draws. When summer sun makes travel easier and
fills the gullies with meltwater from nearby Mount
Nar and the Firward Mountains, Nar tribes gather in
Bildoobaris for a festival of the same name. At that
time, miles of hide tents fill the plain, mingled with
the finer temporary abodes of foreign merchants.
The Nars drink, feast, and trade. Marriages are
arranged and stories are swapped. Through an intertribal council, the tribes make common policy, each
voting according to its size and the number of riders
it can muster. The current ascendant tribe is the
Harthgroth.
During Bildoobaris, Nars also sell horses, native
craftwork, and ancient treasures to foreigners. They
trade for armor, clothing, jewelry, weapons, and even
food and exotic drink. Merchants must be wary,
however, because any Nar who feels cheated might
become violent.
Jiyyd
Crossroads Village; Population 500
A rough collection of squat stone buildings and hide
tents, Jiyyd is a trading center. It boasts the first available services along the Long Road past the Giantspire
Gap, set where the road to Peltarch meets the Long
Road. Passing Nars, traders from Peltarch, and even
a few goblins come to Jiyyd to barter. Foreigners and
natives alike take advantage of the village’s largest
feature, the Delyth Caravanserai, which is operated
by a family that moved from Damara long ago.
N’Jast
Crossroads Village; Population 500
Much like Jiyyd, N’Jast is a trading settlement nestled
at the point where the Long Road crosses the Cold
Road, a passage from remote villages and dwarfholds
near the Icerim Mountains all the way to Nethentir in
Thesk. N’Jast is a stopover for Nars and merchants on
their way to Bildoobaris.
Peltarch
Port Town; Population 2,000
The only sizable permanent settlement in Narfell is
on the southern shore of Icelace Lake, a body formed
by runoff from the Great Glacier to the north. The
Nars of Peltarch, mostly of the Ulyoon tribe, fish the
lake. They also welcome the few winter caravans
that cross frozen Icelace Lake instead of braving the
snow-choked and goblin-infested Giantspire Gap in
the winter. Through food trade and intermittent traffic, the citizens of Peltarch have become wealthier
6/18/08 8:08:04 AM
Giantspire Gap: The Giantspire Mountains get
their name from the small tribes of hill and stone
giants that wander them. Ogres are also common
here. Still, hobgoblins and bugbears far outnumber
the larger brutes: Goblins truly rule the mountains
and its pass. In fact, the most powerful goblin tribes
include ogres and even giants.
A few tribes vie for position here. Garnuuk rules
the Blood Mountain tribe, a savage bugbear clan
known for headhunting in the pass and along eastern
Damara. The Razor Heart clan, through the machinations of its queen, the hobgoblin Maaqua, has ties
with Damara and a right to “tax” the Giantspire Gap.
Maaqua’s mixed tribe possesses two powerful items
rumored to belong to a fiend torn from the world
during the Spellplague—a Crown of Whispers and
the Greatsword of Impiltur (see pages 55 and 56 for
descriptions of both items).
Razor Heart has been steadily assimilating other
tribes, but the Black Wolf clan of the southern
mountains has resisted thus far. The Black Wolves
owe their independence to their ability to retreat
into Dunwood and a long-standing alliance with the
worgs of that forest. The hobgoblin Aruugan, chief of
the Black Wolves and pledged to Bane, holds another
Crown of Whispers, a twin to Maaqua’s.
Guecumar: The bloodthirsty Nar tribe known
as the Creel is encamped around these ruins. Their
chief, Tur, follows the commands of the tribe’s witch,
a tiefling named Sylanth. Tur’s warriors protect the
permanent camp and fend off raiders from passing
tribes, who see the Creel not only as taboo-breakers,
but also as potentially wealthy targets.
While Sylanth was learning her craft, the promise
of power came to her in a dream. She left her tribe
and ventured to Guecumar during Bildoobaris. She
NARFELL
than their kin, and other
Nar tribes consider them
outlanders.
Stone for the buildings
and walls of Peltarch was
taken from an older ruin
that lies to the north, which
the Nars call Old Peltarch.
Peltarch has had its share of
strange occurrences, dark
spirits, and overly aggressive
animals—especially cave
bears and dire bears. Many
Nars blame these troubles
on the ruins and the transported masonry. Similarly blamed on the mingling of
the ancient and the modern, it is whispered that the
demonbinding ways of old Narfell reappeared here
first.
returned a year later with a stone tablet she calls the
Word of Guecumar, arriving just after the tribe’s
former witch succumbed to a strange and fast-acting
disease.
Creels nightly seek to bypass old wards suppressing demonic presence and sealing the lower city from
access. The going is slow, and only parts of the city
become accessible at a time. Missteps are common,
and many Creels have lost their lives. The reward for
their sacrifice is the demons that Sylanth now has
bent to her will. With them, Tur hopes that the Creel
tribe will soon become the mightiest of the Nars.
Jastaath: Upon the western face of Mount Nar sits
a tower surrounded by tumbled ruins, all perched
above a glacier field. Barely visible from Bildoobaris,
the tower became known to the Nars only about forty
years ago. Because of their fear of Kryonar, the white
wyrm dracolich said to live on the mountain, few
Nars have dared to approach the place.
What most Nars don’t know is that Kryonar is
dead. Some time ago, the Red Wizard Branimern
Rythil arrived in fallen Jastaath following her studies
of the Nar ruins of the Great Dale. She was accompanied by an entourage of fiends, corrupted fey, and her
twisted ally, the fomorian warrior Hughan. Having
successfully learned secrets to transform from a
human into a cambion hellfire magus, Branimern
and her allies slew Kryonar and built a stronghold
among the ruins on Mount Nar. There, the wizard
seeks the earliest secrets of Nar demonbinding,
intending to build a kingdom in Narfell and eventually turn her power on the Great Dale, Rashemen,
and Thay.
Kryonar’s Caverns: Within the glacier on the
northern face of Mount Nar is a series of tunnels that
lead to a natural cavern. These caves once housed the
dracolich Kryonar. Now, even the undead dragon’s
bones are gone. In the dracolich’s place are twisted
cyclopses and other creatures that came to Mount
Nar with Branimern Rythil. They remain loyal to the
transformed wizard.
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6/18/08 8:08:05 AM
NELANTHER ISLES
Settlements and
Features
The Nelanther Isles are a widely scattered chain of
atolls stretching from Amn into the Trackless Sea.
More than half the islands lack water and are fit only
for wrecking ships. The places that can support life
are fought over by pirates who prey upon the shipping
of Amn, Calimshan, the Sword Coast, and the Moonshae Isles.
It is widely believed that hundreds of secret pirate
troves are scattered about the isles. These treasures
have remained undiscovered during the century
since a local sea surge during the Year of Blue Fire
wiped out sea fortresses, pirate enclaves, and numerous ships, crews, and captains.
Only a few of the islands in this archipelago are
named. Maps of the area show the major islands
and a few of the smaller ones, but fail to note shoals,
seamounts, wrecks, partly submerged islets, vortices,
and other information important to those wishing to
navigate passage. Sea caves, sunken ships, trapped
pirate lairs, and more make the Isles an interesting, if
dangerous, adventure location.
A pirate captain makes his or her name by learning at least one fast, safe route through these hazards,
and then keeping it a close secret. Such knowledge
is the most valuable treasure any pirate owns in the
Nelanther Isles.
Nelanther Lore
Ioma Town
History DC 15: The mighty sea swells of nearly
a century ago destroyed several pirate enclaves and
fleets, smashing ships upon unforgiving shores. Since
then, a few surviving fleets have been refurbished
and new ones founded. The isles might one day
become the same threat to merchant shipping that
they were before the Year of Blue Fire.
Streetwise DC 15: One pirate’s flag has become
particularly known and despised in the shipping
lanes—the white and purple colors of Captain Ornappur the Rock. Ornappur is a nasty piece of work.
He’s sly and deceitful, and has become a master of
might and magic. The Rock as a lad was thrown off a
ship near Skaug for stealing rum. Not seen again for
twenty years, he reappeared suddenly with a crew of
cutthroats and a ship carved of black stone. Ornappur’s flesh had become dark, hard stone, and his
heart a piece of flint. No ship can stand before Ornappur’s nameless vessel, and only a few survivors have
ever floated ashore to tell of the ferocity of the Rock’s
terrible onslaughts.
Mining Community; Population 800
Ioma Town lies on the large island of Ioma, which is
dominated by a mountain of the same name. A rough
band of purple crystal caps the peak’s summit.
Ioma Town was founded by Amn roughly sixty
years ago, back when “Iomic crystal” enjoyed the
reputation of having antimagical qualities. Amnian
merchants made good coin selling it set into amulets
and bracelets as wards against future Spellplague
flare-ups. However, as wizards relearned their craft
LANTAN’S REST
162
B E N WO OT T E N
The great tsunamis that followed the shifting continents
inundated Lantan as it ravaged other coasts and island
nations. When the water receded, the island land was
nearly gone. All its machines, its technology, and its
people were drowned. The land is much reduced in area,
and its clockwork marvels lie rusting below the waves.
The pirates of Nelanther say a monster sinks any ship
that draws near.
6/18/08 8:08:07 AM
NEL ANTHER ISLES
in the decades following the Weave’s collapse, Iomic
crystal was shown to be nothing special.
That didn’t stop the industrious miners. Ioma
Town and its mine operate to this day, quarrying the
purple crystal, which Amnian merchants sell as faux
amethyst on the mainland.
Ioma Town has become a competitor to Skaug, the
other open community in the Nelanther Isles, though
its port can handle only twenty ships, half that of
Skaug. On the other hand, Amn’s presence in the
village has brought a force of three Cowled Wizards
to the island. These three, armed with a reputation
and a badge of authority, keep an eye on things. As a
result, visitors are slightly less likely to be stabbed in a
tavern brawl. Just slightly.
Skaug
Pirate Port; Population 2,000
Skaug is a rough-and-tumble port that welcomes
pirates of every stripe, and actively discourages
bounty hunters and others who threaten the flow of
grog and coin. Lawless Skaug is a good place to fill a
ship with scurvy seadogs who value plunder over all
else. Life is cheap in its alleys and ale-soaked taverns.
Of all the infamous taverns along the wharf, the
Keelhaul is the longest-running concern. Cards,
dice, companions-of-the-hour, illicit substances, and
questionable deals can readily be found within its
creaking timbers. Drunken patrons sometime fling
newcomers and alleged cheaters down an oiled
chute. The plunging victims are ejected from the
prow-fronted building and into the cold waters of the
harbor outside.
Sea Towers: High stone towers jut from several
islands and occasionally straight out of the sea. Remnants of long-ago watch posts built by a previous
civilization or civilizations, most are empty and open.
A few recently discovered towers remain magically
locked and warded against intrusion. Pirates avoid
VANISHED NIMBRAL
The island of Nimbral, also known as the Sea Haven, was
southwest of Lantan in the Trackless Sea. Like Lantan,
Nimbral vanished without a trace after the cataclysmic
waves subsided. Concentrations of powerful magic were
a hazard in the early days of the Spellplague, and Nimbral
certainly had magic enough. Some people think the isle
still exists, cloaked in illusion. Others think it drowned in
the sea, or that its veils of magic carried it off into some
far plane. Whatever the truth of the matter, no ships have
found the island in almost one hundred years.
them with superstitious fanaticism. Of late, the lights
that burn on all the towers’ crowns have started to
waver and blink in odd rhythms. Those tempted by
the lights either have found nothing or have disappeared. Stories concerning the towers’ new occupants
are varied, but all share one trait: Requests from slavers for children not more than one month from the
womb have been traced to hooded figures who bear
their squealing burdens back to a tower’s vicinity.
Wreck of the Sea Witch: The infamous Sea
Witch went down with all hands somewhere off
the western coast of Ioma, and many a pirate and
salvager has tried to find it since. The Sea Witch was
known for its complement of wizards, warlocks, and
other spell-slingers. This personnel allowed the captain, Mala Ravenstar, to employ a variety of diabolical
tactics against foes. All assume the sunken ship’s hold
must be bursting with magic treasure.
16 3
6/18/08 8:08:07 AM
NETHERIL
The Empire of Netheril stretches from the edge of
the High Ice south to the Farsea Swamp, occupying
the former desert land of Anauroch. Rivers now flow
from the melting glaciers, rain falls, temperatures are
moderate, and in some places vegetation is particularly lush. Netheril is a land reborn, despite its cruel
overlords.
The Twelve Princes rule Netheril from their
capital city of Shade Enclave (known also as Shade
and, formerly, Thultanthar), the lone city of old that
escaped ancient Netheril’s collapse. These incalculably powerful mages threaten all of Faerûn’s nations.
A floating enclave, tentatively identified as the resurrected city Sakkors, is sometimes sighted hanging
over Sembia in the dead of night. Stories of bloodshed
and heartache follow in Sakkors’ wake.
Netheril Lore
History DC 25: A fragment of the ancient Netherese, who call themselves Shadovar, escaped the
destruction of their empire by fleeing into Shadow.
They spent long, difficult centuries there but have
finally returned, although with something of the
shadowstuff in them.
The Netherese returned in the Year of Wild Magic
(1372 DR) and found their old empire in ruins,
buried under a desert covering the once-verdant
landscape. Their nation was all but forgotten by
the descendants of the tribes they once ruled with
an iron fist. To the Shadovar, the world seemed a
nightmare landscape of savage realms. It was a place
where magic was suppressed by the upstart Mystra to
a ghost of its former grandeur. The Shadovar pledged
that the peoples of Faerûn would once again accept
the Netherese as their rightful masters.
SAND KINGS
An active fringe of Bedine separatists yet resists the
Empire of Netheril. These so-called Sand Kings are
secretly supported by the Dalelands, Cormyr, Silverymoon, and Waterdeep. They have been infiltrated by
the tattered remnants of the Zhentarim, and it’s difficult
to tell the difference between a Bedine freedom fighter
and a mercenary hoping to profit from the chaos of the
armed resistance. One resistance fighter, Qambara El
Ruhul, has pulled off several daring raids on Shadovar
supply convoys.
164
Streetwise DC 20: Netheril thrives within its
borders. Memory of its brutal genocide of the native
dwarves is suppressed, as is the forceful integration of
the primitive peoples of Anauroch. The rebuilt cities
of Landeth, Orofin, Rasilith, and Oreme are peopled
with Bedine who have mostly forgotten their nomadic
past. They are now city dwellers who describe themselves as Netherese.
The surrounding realms of Evereska, Cormyr, the
Dalelands, and Myth Drannor patrol Netheril’s borders, hoping to stem Shadovar aggression. Although
the league has managed to keep armed forces at bay,
it has failed to fend off Netherese spies, which are
widely believed to be scattered all across Faerûn.
Given their magic and shadow-infused flesh, Netheril’s agents could be anywhere.
Settlements and
Features
Arid dustbowls are dotted with youthful forests;
sparking streams wend through formerly windscoured rocky steppes; the thawed tundra is green
with grass. Many Netherese vaults and forgotten
towers of ancient days remain to be consolidated into
the growing empire.
Shade Enclave
This city of black walls and high spires hangs suspended by mighty magic above the Scimitar Spires.
Shade Enclave is peopled by descendants of ancient
Netherese wizards now thousands of years old,
sustained in life by magic and a connection to the
Shadowfell. Legions of dark-armored swordmages
patrol the city. The Twelve Princes of old, wizards
infused with the power of shadowstuff, yet lead the
city as they did before it escaped the empire’s fate.
Shade represents one of the most potent concentrations of arcane might on the face of Toril. It has forged
an empire of incredible size and power in just a few
short mortal generations.
The Twelve Princes never cross each other. They
are unified in their goals, or at least they present that
public face. Each rules the confines of his own dark
mansion much as a mortal baron oversees his community. All the princes answer to the Most High.
All told, only a couple of hundred shades live in
the city. Most of the Shadovar are still human. However, all have been touched by generations of living in
the Shadowfell, and shadar-kai began to appear spontaneously in the generation following Shade’s return
to Faerûn.
6/18/08 8:08:10 AM
NETHERIL
Sakkors
Resurrected City; Population 15,000
Unlike the city of Shade, Sakkors did not
survive the original fall of Netheril—it
crashed into the Sea of Fallen Stars and
languished on the bottom. Over a hundred
years ago, in the Year of Lightning Storms
(1374 DR), the Shadovar raised the ruin,
rebuilding and rejuvenating it, fashioning a
second city approaching the glory of old.
Sakkors is built on a floating inverted
mountaintop. Shadow magic is incorporated
into its rejuvenated structure: Darkness
twines around thin spires, over thick walls,
along wide boulevards, and through the
windows of shops, residences, and noble
manses.
From time to time, Sakkors appears over
Sembia in the dead of night, apparently not
having crossed the intervening distance,
or at least without being sighted by anyone
in Cormyr or the Dalelands. This appearance, not part of any openly discussed or
official Netheril policy or promise, might be
designed to create fear. After such sightings,
disagreements between the Empire and
Sembian merchants, if any, fade away.
Phaerimm Memory Spire: When
Shade returned, the phaerimms knew only
moments of exultation before the Shadovar
unleashed their age-long plan of revenge.
The Netherese claim that no phaerimm now
remains alive in Toril—even the corpses were blasted
into nothingness. Even so, a silvery spire appears
irregularly in northern Netheril.
The Shadovar believe the spire appears according to a certain pattern, which, when worked out,
will allow them to predict its future presence. They
assume that the spire is a tomb containing the
physical corpse of at least one phaerimm, possibly its
arcane arms and armament, and perhaps a treasure
trove of lore. If any creature happens to discover and
enter the randomly appearing spire, avoiding the
NETHERIL AND SHAR
The active worship of any deity but Shar is forbidden in
Shade and Sakkors, and is only moderately tolerated in
the territories of Netheril. The Bedine have, for the most
part, converted to the worship of Shar. Savvy Sembians
have realized that getting a leg up in the new business climate requires at least the appearance of being a devoted
follower of the Mistress of the Night.
powerful tomb guardians and traps, it might find
weapons whetted and keyed to kill the heirs of Netheril. The Shadovar want to make certain that such a
discovery falls to them.
Ravaerris: Prior to the return of Shade Enclave,
the now-collapsed Zhentarim maintained outposts
on the edge of Anauroch. Ravaerris was the largest
of these forts, housing a company of prospectors, diggers, soldiers, diviners, and a series of special vaults
that held what treasures they could pry from the
unforgiving sand.
When the Spellplague struck, some relic, spell, or
captive creature in the Ravaerris vault reverberated
like a bell, sending out waves of force that collapsed
the sprawling outpost into a hidden fault. A handful
of Zhents escaped, only to watch gape-mouthed as
the fault closed with a final shudder, stealing away
Ravaerris and all of Zhentil Keep’s hard-won Netherese relics. The few scattered Zhent outlaws who yet
wander Faerûn tell each other when they meet that,
somewhere, Ravaerris yet remains.
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6/18/08 8:08:10 AM
OKOTH
Inconceivably ancient, Okoth is a realm of the sarrukh. These ancient creatures, called Serpent Kings
by nearby tribes, are few in number. Indeed, they are
so rare that a number of respected sages think them
to be extinct.
Okoth Lore
History DC 40: Three great sarrukh empires
arose at or near the beginning of recorded history.
Okoth, south of modern High Imaskar, appeared
first. It gave way to civil war and a sarrukh diaspora
into the planes. On and near what is now Chult,
Mhairshalk had great success creating and shaping
new creatures. Sarrukh masters of that empire slowly
succumbed to an ageless torpor, giving their empire
over to the yuan-ti they had created. Isstosseffifil
existed where Netheril now lies. It fell soon after its
arcanists rerouted the Narrow Sea to drive the phaerimms away.
The sarrukh all but vanished into hidden slumber
or among the planes, narrowly escaping a catastrophe
they called “the changing of the stars.” During that
event, the face of the world was irrevocably altered.
Perhaps the sarrukh foresaw this doom and retreated
to safety.
Religion DC 40: During the Time of Troubles
(1358 DR), the sarrukh and their progeny had a religious upheaval. The god Sseth stopped speaking and
entered a sleep of ages. A mighty sarrukh priest named
Pil’it’ith bound Sseth in his slumber and turned to the
worship of the interloper Mulhorandi deity Set. The
sarrukh and yuan-ti of other regions, especially Chult,
began to search for a way to awaken Sseth.
During the Spellplague, large numbers of serpentfolk attacked Okoth in a secret war. They put down
Pil’it’ith, his loyal followers, and his heresy. Sseth
reawakened soon after, and Set faded from Faerûn.
Dark whispers suggest it might have all been a test,
and that Sseth arose as a mightier deity after this
power struggle.
Streetwise DC 40: In the Ruins of the Serpent
Kings, sarrukh bide their time. They continue to
rebuild, slowly and secretly, unwilling to draw
any attention. Although few in number, each is
immensely powerful, knowledgeable, and potent. It
remains their goal to reinvigorate their race in some
fashion, and begin breeding a revitalized generation
fired with the ambitions of youth.
Settlements and
Features
Reptilian races and humans tainted with serpent
blood gather in Okoth, serving their creators. Ruins
buried for more then thirty millennia have broken
again to the surface during the great upheavals of the
last century.
Sar’Rukoth
Ancient ruins sprawl across this fear-enshrouded
island. Most are simple low walls, half-cobbled floors,
and crumbling monuments. Among the central ruins
are newly constructed low domes that rise out of the
earth, their interiors accessible through strangely
small circular openings. Narrow crawl spaces wind
into warm, moist, unlighted corridors and rooms.
Each dome complex houses a single sarrukh and
its personal retinue of guards, counselors, entertainers, and other servants, especially yuan-ti. Beneath,
winding catacombs connect the domes with one
another and with a larger area of tunnels, grottos, and
subterranean salt lakes. Also below are the tombs of
the sarrukh that failed to survive the past millennia.
The sarrukh of Okoth, eighteen in total, are sterile
and childless. A singular title, such as messenger or
shaper, describes each surviving sarrukh by its expertise. They form a council led by one they call khuzdar,
or imperator. The current khuzdar is Ziss’thiss, Devotee of Sseth. He is considered to have authority over
sarrukh across Faerûn. See “Reptile Kingdoms” on
page 268 for more information about sarrukh.
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6/18/08 8:08:13 AM
Lakeshore Town; Population 2,000
The growing town of Buldamar lies on the eastern shore of the Lake of Salt. It has a reputation as
a frontier town where scavengers, salvagers, and
adventurers from many lands gather before exploring the ruins around the lake. Over the last twenty
years, the small village has swelled four times in size,
becoming a true town, rife with frontier opportunities and dangers. The only law in town is imposed
by the largest gang of thieves, the Salt Creepers. Life
is cheap for those without the strength to fight off
predators.
Many local legends and warnings circulate about
Buldamar. Those who attempt to approach the
island in the middle of the lake soon discover they
don’t have the guts to land on it, due to a pervading
sense of doom. Nobody has ever returned from the
accursed place. Another oft-repeated tavern tale is
that the city is full of wereserpents (page 271) and
other serpentfolk, such as yuan-ti. Supposedly, these
seemingly normal citizens transform by night to stalk
the streets.
In truth, many serpentfolk do live in Buldamar,
though they do not wantonly attack other residents. Instead, they serve as the eyes and ears for
Sar’Rukoth. They give warning whenever an expedition of adventurers heads toward that island, and
might even suggest other possible looting targets to
the group. The sarrukh don’t want to attract attention
by harming Buldamar, and in truth they need not do
so. They control it utterly.
JAMES ZHANG
Moon Stair: A crumbling crystal spiral staircase
rises out of the Lake of Salt near the southern end,
where the River of Swords drains out into the Gulf
of Luiren. The stairs are hardly visible until one has
nearly run aground upon them. The staircase climbs
5 feet above the water and descends 20 feet beneath
the surface, where it is firmly grounded in the salty
lake bottom. The upper portion is obviously broken
off, as if it once ascended to some higher, now absent
structure.
Once every month, when the moon is dark, the
stairs are seen to extend upward into the sky. The
extension appears to be a glimmer of moonlight
given shape, but those trying the steps find that they
are solid enough. Braving the stairs to their apex—a
grueling journey nearly 3 miles upward—an explorer
discovers a floating tower, otherwise inaccessible.
The tower is of black stone, and murderous spirits of
serpentine beasts guard its exterior. Even exploratory
teams sent by the sarrukh have failed to return from
that cursed place.
OXOT H
Buldamar
Ruins of the Serpent Kings: Though sarrukh
view Sar’Rukoth as the capital of Okoth, they find it
convenient to allow all others to believe it the great
ruin of a vanished race. Sarrukh and their retinues
inhabit only a small, central portion of the ruins on
one small island. They cover the place with a magical
field of dread that keeps all but the bravest intruders
looking elsewhere.
All over the area are hundreds of tunnels, chambers, vaults, tombs, and halls that have lain wholly
or partially undisturbed for time out of mind. Aside
from potential riches left behind by the sarrukh, generations of other creatures have controlled or laired
within portions of these ruins in the millennia since
the fall of Okoth. Some are near Buldamar, but many
are far from the actual sarrukh holds.
Buldamar’s folk know well a portion of the ruins
they call the Vault of Records. Although plundered
long ago, the vault is said to have contained magic
that allowed the rise of Mulhorand and Unther, great
empires lost to Spellplague-borne changes. Using the
Vault of Records as an example, some believe that
wealth within other ruins could eclipse that of any
other location in Faerûn. At least, so goes the patter
used by Buldamar patrons seeking salvagers, and by
Buldamar businesses seeking customers.
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6/18/08 8:08:15 AM
RASHEMEN
Rashemen is a rugged land of hardy and fiercely
independent people. Rolling hills and sparse pine
forests cover the southern areas, giving way to barren
plain in the north and cold, deep lakes to the east.
The far north contains only snowcapped mountains.
Rashemen Lore
History DC 20: Throughout its existence as
a nation, Rashemen has prevailed in the face of
invaders. Old enemies include ancient Narfell and
Raumathar, lost Mulhorand, the Tuigan of the Hordelands, and Thay.
When Thay became embroiled in civil war, the
Wychlaran, Rashemen’s witches, seized the opportunity to deal with a growing internal threat—the
durthans. This dark group of women and hags, with
powers similar to those of the Wychlaran, focused on
corrupted spirits and wicked fey. Most durthans felt
that the only way to protect Rashemen was to be as
ruthless as its enemies. They built a secret sanctuary
called Citadel Tralkarn within the Erech Forest.
In what is now known as the Witch War of Rashemen, the Wychlaran and their commander, the Iron
Lord, fought against the durthans and their allies. In
the end, the Wychlaran prevailed and the durthans
were no more.
Nature DC 20: Magic has sculpted Rashemen’s
geography just as surely as the weather. It is a place
of ancient sorceries, powerful spirits, and strong
fey. Spirits and fey keep watch over the forests,
mountains, and waterways. Local folk respect these
sentinels, taking care not to offend them, for punishment comes to those who displease. With the return
of the Feywild, Rashemen has gained an even greater
number of fey to protect it, whether the Rashemi like
it or not.
Streetwise DC 20: Rashemi are fiercely tied to
ancient ways practiced for over a thousand years.
Warriors call up a feral rage against foes. Wychlaran
hathrans (learned sisters) cast spells of wild power.
The Wychlaran wield magic tied to the land, and
they train those with power to serve Rashemen. Male
spellcasters, called Old Ones since many live to a
staggering age, are few. They excel in itemcraft and
rituals.
Although Iron Lord Mangan Uruk ostensibly rules
Rashemen, true power lies with the witches. It is they
who choose the Iron Lord. They protect and teach
this potent commander, and they can remove him
from the throne at will.
Settlements and
Features
The southern half of Rashemen is more hospitable
and has more varied features than the north.
Ashenwood
Ancient Spirit Forest
Eastern Lake Ashane cradles the Ashenwood, an
untamed woodland inhabited by wild creatures. This
evergreen forest is also home to the largest concentration of spirits and fey in Rashemen. Great wisdom or
terrible vengeance can come from these creatures,
depending on an interloper’s actions. Tradition holds
the Ashenwood sacred, so it remains unsettled.
Ettercaps, werewolves, and trolls also inhabit the
forest. Some of these creatures are legendary among
the Rashemi for their age, cunning, and size. Most
prominent is Dar-Guran, a fell troll who can take off
a human’s head in one bite.
Benevolent creatures also inhabit Ashenwood.
Intelligent animals speak to the spirits and watch
over the lost. A mighty treant named Stormwind
walks the forest among lesser fey plant creatures. He
is the Wychlaran’s ally, and he speaks to the witches
when they seek his aid.
Immilmar
The Iron Lord’s citadel, built upon an ancient Nar
fortification, stands at the center of Immilmar on the
shore of Lake Ashane. Ambassadors and merchants
come here to deal with the Rashemi.
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6/18/08 8:08:15 AM
Mulsantir
Trade Town; Population 7,000
Trade might be queen in Mulsantir, but war is king.
Ferries extend the Golden Way here from Two Stars
in Thesk. During winter, caravans can cross the ice
of Lake Mulsantir. Thayan advances into Aglarond
and movements on the borders of Thesk haven’t gone
unnoticed in Rashemen.
Thay has besieged Mulsantir three times in the
past, but the town has never fallen. It sports three
rings of walls and the most stone buildings in Rashemen. Mulsantir is home to magic warships called
witchboats, as well as numerous rage-fueled warriors.
Urlingwood
Mystical Heart of Rashemen
Witches control Urlingwood. Here they hold secret
meetings, commune with spirits and fey, make offerings to benevolent spirits and the Three, and bind
hostile entities. They initiate young Wychlaran and
Old Ones here. Within Urlingwood, the witches also
brew jhuild, the famous Rashemi firewine.
Only Wychlaran and Old Ones are allowed to
enter Urlingwood. The penalty for violating this
prohibition is death, and no exception is indulged.
Because of this extreme law, the Iron Lord’s berserkers patrol the forest perimeter, warning away
interlopers.
Spirits, fey, and other creatures loyal to the witches
guard the forest interior, making good on the promise of death to intruders. Those whom the guardians
can’t defeat, they report to the Wychlaran. Strong
wards keep particularly sensitive areas safe.
Urling
Village; Population 400
When not on business within Urlingwood, many
witches reside in this village. The community looks to
be little more than a grove of primeval trees punctuated by grassy mounds. The hills are the lodges of the
Wychlaran, their spouses, and their servants. Unlike
Urlingwood, Urling is open to common folk. Some
of the most potent magicians in eastern Faerûn live
here, including Lady Rameena, the most dangerous
witch in Rashemen.
Erech Forest: This forest in the shadow of Mount
Nar and the Firward Mountains is considered part
of Rashemen. Dark spirits and wicked fey inhabit
these gloomy woods, as do angry ghosts of fallen durthans and Nar raiders. Near the forest’s heart is the
benighted ruin of Citadel Tralkarn.
Fortress of the Half-Demon: So named for the
remnants of a huge iron gate made in the shape of a
great demonic face, this ancient building is a typical
squat Nar citadel. The upper levels of the stronghold
are mundane and often home to outlaws or monsters.
Levels below the ground hold powerful wards and
imprisoned fiends. Nar vaults containing secrets of
ancient binding magic are bound to exist here as
well.
High Country: The western foothills of the Sunrise Mountains and the Mulsanyaar Plateau make
up this wild and dangerous part of Rashemen. In the
south, this region is only about a dozen miles from
Thay across the Gorge of Gauros. Magic monoliths,
thought to be Raumathari devices that trapped Nar
fiends, dot the territory. Only a few mining towns
exist here, full of the toughest Rashemi and guarded
by witches and spirits.
The High Country is also the domain of goblin
and kobold tribes, ghosts from failed invasions, and
trolls and white dragons. The Nanraak tribe of goblins controls a portion of the northern High Country
from caves in the mountains. The Omvudurth clan
lords over the south from its dark citadel. Slightly different is the Brood of Kashaan, kobolds and younger
dragons that serve an elder white dragon named Kissethkashaan. None of these monsters are willing to
face Rashemen’s defenders in force, however.
Ring of Blue Fire: This ancient Raumathari ruin
is typical in that it’s a cluster of towers. Two of the five
structures that make up the ring still stand intact. A
harsh gray flame flickers atop each, even the fallen
ones. Those flames flared during the Spellplague and
became bright, intermittent bursts of blue fire. The
lights flash in time with grinding and rending noises
from within the standing structures. Odd magic radiates into the area surrounding the ring, changing the
landscape and the creatures nearby, marking them
as a plagueland does. The dangers and remoteness of
the area have prevented its looting, but few doubt that
the ruin holds secrets, perhaps of Raumathari battle
magic.
R ASHEMEN
Most of the buildings within the city are sturdy
lodges, far different from the grim keep of the Iron
Lord. They are formed with steep sides and a central peak, created by stout timbers embedded in the
ground. These buildings are covered with earth and
have grass growing over them, similar to structures
all across Rashemen.
Important locations are simply more elaborate
lodges. Witches Hall is a whitewashed and elaborately carved affair closed to all but the witches. The
House of the Three, in which Chauntea, Mielikki,
and Selûne are worshiped as the Rashemi pantheon,
has a central garden court open to the sky.
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6/18/08 8:08:17 AM
RAURIN
This land was once the center of the ancient Imaskar
Empire. The Imaskari’s battles against the vengeful
deities of their imported slaves destroyed the area.
Since then, Raurin has been a wasteland of stone,
sand, and dust inhabited by brown and blue dragons,
efreets, and dangerous storm-spawned dust devils
that scour the dunes without warning. The desert
extends westward, merging without obvious boundary into the Plains of Purple Dust.
Raurin Lore
History DC 20: Imaskari tribes began to settle
the fertile Raurin plain nearly ten thousand years
ago. The people slowly gained knowledge in magical
craft, especially dimensional engineering. Eventually
the wizard-rulers of Raurin created a gate to another
world, from which they kidnapped and press-ganged
hundreds of thousands of people. These slaves, called
the Mulan, prayed long centuries for their vanished
deities to bring them salvation. Finally, they were
heard.
Incarnations and manifestations of the Mulan
deities arrived in Toril, fomenting rebellion. Though
many of the greatest wizard-lords of the realm battled
to the last, Imaskar slowly failed in the face of divine
wrath. The Imaskari prepared a doomsday weapon
called Pandorym but were defeated before they could
use it. Even so, by this time, the landscape of the
once-fertile Raurin had become a desert. So it has
remained for thousands of years.
Streetwise DC 20: Travelers daring the unforgiving wastes of Raurin sometimes stumble across one of
several elven enclaves that dot the desert. Why elves,
of all who inhabit Faerûn, would choose an environment most at odds with the woodland environment
they are known to prefer remains a mystery. Perhaps
they merely adapted to a changing environment over
thousands of years. If so, then the elves of Raurin
were contemporaries of the ancient Imaskari and
survived that empire’s fall.
The fantastic storms that rake the dusty plains
of Raurin are growing fiercer. Awesome displays of
wind-blasted grit and lightning are now commonly
seen prowling the desert’s heart. More and more
often, such storms throw off titanic dust devils, which
take on a sort of life. Some of these phenomena have
moved beyond the desert’s borders to tear up the
countryside of Durpar, the Beastlands, and High
Imaskar to the west.
Settlements and
Features
The wide waste holds ruins hiding powerful artifacts,
as well as buried temples to forgotten deities.
Hidden Elven Enclave; Population 3,000
The hidden cavern entrance to Al Qahara lies in one
face of a ravine that winds through hills rounded and
degraded by eons of blowing sand. The cave mouth,
hidden by enchantments of misdirection, is flanked
by heaps of crusted dust. It opens onto a lantern-lit
cavern featuring a gate carved with ancient Elven
script. The entry is watched over by a company of five
guards that allow visitors entry or call for reinforcements, depending on the nature of the interloper.
Beyond the entry gate lies the common area of
the hidden enclave: a wide and deep plaza, enclosed
on all sides by stone balconies, galleries, and square
tunnels leading to hidden rooms. The entire plaza
is lit by hundreds of clove-oil lanterns. Great bronze
plaques with calligraphic script hang from every surface that doesn’t sport a tapestry of intricate weave. A
beautiful mosaic design paves the floor of the plaza,
covering its most important feature: a high-walled
stone well.
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A DA M G I L L E S P I E
Al Qahara
6/18/08 8:08:18 AM
R AUR IN
The elves of Al Qahara, like those of the few other
fey enclaves known to exist across Raurin, have lived
for generations in the desert. They have strangely
weathered features for all their fey blood. The adults
favor flowing, colorful gowns; children wear loose
pants and simple tunics. As normal elves regard the
forests, these desert-dwellers see the wastes as a place
of beauty and wild majesty, despite its cruel ways
for those unused to it. Visitors to Al Qahara find the
natives generous with lodging and food, and eager for
news beyond the few oasis towns they trade with.
Ragheb
Oasis Town; Population 2,000
A grove of palms standing 50 feet tall marks Ragheb’s
location within the surrounding desert sands. Blessed
with continuously running water for the last hundred years, Ragheb has grown from almost nothing
to a luxurious trail stop for the rare desert traveler
or oasis herder. A high, white stone wall protects the
inmost area of Ragheb from the desert storms. Inside,
a well and its overflowing waters collect in the diminutive but deep Lake Ragheb. Outside the stormwall,
tents of red, blue, and green create a semipermanent
village of craftspeople, herders, and drifters. When a
storm threatens, the tents are struck, and all residents
shelter inside.
Ragheb is under the protection of the tiefling
Alzubra. She is a just and benevolent arbiter, and
most of the citizens are happy to do her bidding. Of
the many dangers that Alzubra must contend against,
the trade in a drug called haddrum is most vexing.
She banned this elixir, distilled from dragon blood
and less savory ingredients, because those who ingest
it sometimes fly into wild and destructive rages.
Crypt of Badr Al-Mosak: In the midst of rocky,
low-lying hills, a few broken pillars form a circle surrounding a terraced bowl. Stone columns lie scattered
and broken within the declivity, seeming to point
with craggy fingers to the sarcophagus at the center
of what might once have been an amphitheater. The
massive stone crypt rises 10 feet and is of one piece
with the rock upon which it rests. The grand sarcophagus depicts a ruler of old: Badr Al-Mosak. It opens
onto a shaft that contains the old pharaoh’s trap-laden
tomb.
Ruins of Raudor: Raudor is a city long buried in
sand and fallen stone. A relic of exceptional power
called the Fourth Imaskarcana is rumored to lie within
its ruins. Visitors immediately note an overpowering
evil presence suffusing the very air. Those who ignore
this emanation eventually begin to hear voices in
their minds urging them to commit atrocities upon
their fellows. These mental urgings are accompanied
by an unholy hunger to feast on a living creature’s
brain.
DUST DEVILS
Swelling and towering like genies loosed from their bottles, gargantuan whirlwinds suffused with sand constantly
dance across Raurin. They stride above the dead plain,
promising stinging death to any they catch. It is difficult
to gauge a column’s true size, but all seem supernaturally
large. Such storms are the greatest threat to visitors who
dare the briny sand seas of the Dust Desert.
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SEA OF FALLEN STARS
The largest inland ocean of Faerûn, the Sea of Fallen
Stars is also called the Inner Sea. It continues to be
a crucial trade way, despite its diminished expanse,
and even in spite of the ever-present threat of the
Soaring City, Xxiphu. Below the surface is another
world, with undersea kingdoms and strange beings
embroiled in conflicts both new and very old.
The Sea of Fallen Stars is bordered by Aglarond,
Akanûl, Chessenta, Cormyr, the Dalelands, the
Dragon Coast, the Great Dale, Impiltur, Sembia,
Thay, the Vilhon Wilds, Thesk, Threskel, Turmish,
Tymanther, and Vesperin.
Sea of Fallen Stars Lore
History DC 10: The former expanse of the Sea
of Fallen Stars was altered when wide portions of
the landscape collapsed. A portion of the Inner Sea
drained into the Underdark, forcing port cities to
keep pace with the retreating water by building new
dockside facilities. When the sea level reached its
new equilibrium (after about 10 years of gradual
draining), the average drop in water level measured
nearly 50 feet. Once-submerged features were
exposed to the air, as well as the tops of various
ABOLETHS AND THE
SOVEREIGNTY
Aboleths have seen the rise and fall of worlds, apocalypse
upon apocalypse. They are old past understanding, and
their origins predate the current cosmos in which mortals
(and their gods) erroneously believe they are so central.
Aboleths are effectively immortal and, barring death
through accident or violence, continue to grow over their
endless life spans, though after one reaches Huge size, its
rate of growth slows so that changes can be noted only
over geologic time. It’s said that each contains the entire
racial memory of every aboleth in its particular blood
lineage that lived before it. However, recovering such
knowledge isn’t an automatic process—older memories
become accessible to an individual aboleth only as it ages,
and then only with the aid of memory-boosting alchemicals and accompanying rituals.
The scattered, lone aboleths that currently creep in
dark, watery places of the world are not of the lineages
that make up the Sovereignty. Although it’s possible
the ancestors of lone aboleths once served as its scouts,
explorers, or agents, such connections have been lost to
time. Thus, not every aboleth in (and under) Faerûn is
necessarily an emissary of the Sovereignty. In fact, some
might work at cross purposes with Xxiphu.
172
formerly drowned ruins. The partial draining of
the sea was one of the most traumatic effects of the
Spellplague in Faerûn. The character of the shoreline
changed everywhere, though the overall shape of the
sea remains as it once was.
All older seaside trade cities contain an “old
wharf ” portion of town, no longer useful except
as cheap real estate, as well as more recently constructed working ports.
Streetwise DC 15: Life on the Sea of Fallen Stars
is hard both for shore-hugging fishers and merchant
sailors who brave the passages in order to transport
goods. Pirates are the biggest threat to travelers and
traders. The sea raiders lair mostly in the many fjordlike cuts of Pirate Isle, a perfectly named landmass
home to dozens of warring pirate clans.
Below the surface, water-breathing fey called
sea elves are the dominant civilized culture. Myth
Nantar is the name of their marvelous aquatic city.
The sea elves’ most prolific and tenacious enemies
are the sahuagin tribes that dominate the eastern
stretches of the Inner Sea.
Sea elf, sahuagin, and pirate alike dread the
appearance of Xxiphu in the turbulent clouds over
the water. On occasion, they have made common
cause when the Soaring City unexpectedly arrived.
More often, they temporarily break off any conflict to
flee.
Drowned graves and ruins litter the bottom of the
Sea of Fallen Stars in the hundreds. Some of them
were revealed as the sea receded.
Myth Nantar
Sea Elf City; Population 35,000
This city is the center of sea elf society and the capital of an ever-growing undersea kingdom, and it is
protected by a powerful mythal. Despite the lurking presence of the Abolethic Sovereignty above the
water, the sea elves have enjoyed decades of relative
peace below. Myth Nantar, now partly revealed by the
lower sea level, lies both above and below the waves.
With some of its accommodations completely free of
water, sea elves and surface races can and do mingle
here, both for trade and for councils regarding the
threats facing modern Faerûn.
Pirate Isle
Lawless Land of Privateers and Villainous Scum
Pirate Isle lies about 100 miles from the coast of
Sembia. A great mountain known as the Dragonspur
dominates the isle. The Dragonspur shelters two
excellent natural harbors that have been fortified,
destroyed, and then fortified again by generations of
pirates. Several other secure anchorages are scattered
6/18/08 8:08:21 AM
Faerûn’s Underdark were startled by the appearance
of this mythical city from their primeval past. In fact,
a few skirmishes broke out between Faerûn’s aboleths
and the newcomers when Xxiphu first burst up from
the Sea of Fallen Stars. Now an uneasy peace exists,
in that the Underdark aboleths avoid those of the
Sovereignty.
Sharksbane Wall
S E A O F FA L L E N S TA R S
around the island. At any given time, between twenty
and sixty pirate vessels anchor on the main isle or
on one of the many islets that surround the main
landform.
Reports of kuo-toas on the decks of pirate ships by
survivors of such attacks is a growing concern. Are
the pirates becoming servitors of the Abolethic Sovereignty in return for freedom to sail the seas? Or are
the pirates capturing kuo-toas as part of some strange
scheme to ward off attacks by the aboleths?
Wall across the Inland Sea
Built by sea elves to contain the sahuagin kingdom in
the eastern reaches, the top of this 135-mile-long wall
was originally far enough below the surface that ships
could pass over it and not even know it was there.
Now, however, the water has drained to the point that
the wall now towers some 30 feet above the surface.
It traverses the straits south of Thay and continues for
miles inland to both north and south. Beneath the
water, the wall is patrolled by sea elves on the west
and by sahuagin to the east.
ERIC DESCHAMPS
Xxiphu
Soaring City, Seat of the Abolethic Sovereignty
The most feared sight in the Sea of Fallen Stars is the
movable citadel Xxiphu. The city was roused from the
drowned depths by prophecy, perverted priests, and
unwise delvings. Because Xxiphu can change its location at will, its influence could conceivably stretch
anywhere. No one knows where it might appear next,
though most sightings of it are over or close to the Sea
of Fallen Stars.
Xxiphu is a glyph-scribed obelisk wrapped in an
eternal storm that soars over the surface of the world.
Tentacles slither and crawl in cold rookeries encrusting the vast object’s sheer sides. A writhing frieze
carved on the age-worn exterior depicts thousands of
interconnected images. The inscriptions constantly
shift and change, as if invisible artists swarm across
the stone face, inscribing atrocities to the beat of a
mad drummer. The full meaning of the evolving
inscription invokes concepts too ghastly for mortal
minds to comprehend and remain sane.
Aboleths freshly wakened from an age-long
slumber creep within the obelisk’s hollow interior
along with their servitors. But many of these are as
children compared to the few enormous elders that
shamble within. These ancients do not think or plan
as do other beings, and their altered consciousness
is inimical to all creatures not part of their ancient
Sovereignty. Reality bends in the city’s vicinity, unfettering vast monsters of the deep to master the sky as
they before hunted the sunless seas.
The aboleths of the Sovereignty are not like those
previously known on Toril. The solitary aboleths of
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6/18/08 8:08:21 AM
Dragon Atoll: Somewhere in the Sea of Fallen
Stars is a small, bare island that was a submerged
seamount until a century ago. Now a dragon has
claimed the island as its lair, killing any creature that
approaches too close. Seagoers who have glimpsed its
great shape circling the island say the dragon is gray.
Pirates say that the dragon was native to Abeir and
fell to Faerûn during the catastrophe.
Isle of Jagged Teeth: An island stands partially
exposed to the battering waves, rising a mere 20 feet
at its highest point above the waterline. The isle is a
popular rookery for sea birds, though none roost near
cave mouths that open onto the coast along the isle’s
south expanse. Though only a few openings are visible above water, the sea caves riddle the land below.
The murky caves are home to a wide variety of
corals and colorful sea life. Hundreds of small yellow
SOVEREIGNTY SERVITORS
AND FOES
The aboleths suborned populations of krakens, morkoths,
and kuo-toas as servants, in some cases changing their
nature. A certain limited number of their servants are
“unfettered.” They are no longer bound to water because
they can breathe air and have a fly speed equal to their
swim speed. Other groups and individuals oppose the
Sovereignty bitterly.
Unfettered Krakens: Rarely encountered away from
Xxiphu, unfettered krakens are sometimes sent on lone
missions. Seeing one is like seeing a vortex cloud in the
distance—you pray it doesn’t turn in your direction. Unfettered krakens move through the air like forces of nature,
ignoring or eating those they come upon according to
their own unknowable logic.
Unfettered Morkoths: These creatures are the Sovereignty’s messengers, couriers, honor guards, and in small
groups, a skirmisher force. They also serve as flying steeds
for specially trained kuo-toa riders.
Kuo-toas: With Xxiphu’s rise, ancient allegiances and
bloodlines were reawakened. Many kuo-toas now serve
the Sovereignty. Unlike other servitors, kuo-toas are able
to infiltrate human society by interbreeding with humans.
Some coastal and island cultures contain many such
half-bloods, secret servitors of the Sovereignty who do
not even know their own ancestry until blood eventually
forces their allegiance.
Keepers of the Cerulean Sign: This organization has
long maintained a vigil against the abolethic threat in its
many scattered sects. Its greatest failure is now manifest
in Xxiphu’s existence, and many of the lone Keepers and
lesser chapterhouses of the Cerulean Sign have been
overrun and destroyed. However, a few Keepers persist,
and they attempt to obstruct the Abolethic Sovereignty
as much as they are able.
174
and red fish dart within the water among thick
strands of slowly waving seaweed. The saltwater fish
migrate in and out with the tides throughout the sea
caves. However, far more dangerous creatures call
the isle home, including a tribe of sahuagin who call
themselves the Teeth of Karkusal.
The patriarchal tribe are indeed led by a sahuagin
baron called Karkusal, who led his tribe to the Isle of
Jagged Teeth some years ago. There, in the drowned
caves beneath, Karkusal uncovered an ancient
demon-built temple. The temple called out to the
sahuagin baron in his dreams, promising the baron
great power if he would unleash the demon lord that
sleeps within. Karkusal remains suspicious of the
dreamborn promise, but also hopeful. He has set his
tribe up around the periphery of the buried structure, which is accessible only by caves. While the
tribe provides for itself by hunting the sea’s bounty
and raiding occasionally passing merchant ships,
Karkusal carefully explores more and more of the
temple. The baron’s progress is intentionally cautious,
but also slowed by the many metallic doors within
the temple that seem to open and close at random
intervals, sometimes trapping exploration parties in
small rooms so long that they starve to death.
Lichwreck: A century ago, the merchant ship
Thepurl’s Diamond took on seven sealed crates and ten
holy guardians of the freight. The ship never reached
its port. Presumably attacked by pirates, Thepurl’s Diamond sank several miles southwest of Aglarond at the
bottom of a deep-sea canyon. The danger contained
in the shipwreck’s freight has been revealed in recent
decades. Part of the cargo being transported was a
powerful lich called Ebonsoul trapped in a sealed
silver coffin. The other crates contained the contents
of Ebonsoul’s lair in the Chondalwood. The Lichwreck
is now widely known, but no one has descended to see
if the silver coffin has corroded or if the scrolls, tomes,
staffs, and magic mirrors rumored to be part of Ebonsoul’s belongings yet lie on the seafloor.
Nhalloth: This ruined Netherese enclave was long
ago a floating city; with the fall of Netheril nearly two
millennia ago, Nhalloth crashed down into the Sea of
Fallen Stars, where it remained until the last century.
The Spellplague and the draining of the sea have
raised Nhalloth to the surface once more. Though it
no longer floats in the air, the awe-inspiring architecture, barnacled and eroded as it is, draws adventurers
to root through its newly accessible basements,
vaults, and cellars, many of which are still partly
flooded. Most say that treasure-seekers have long
since scoured the ruin clean; however, “shadow folk”
have been spied digging in the area. What is Nhalloth’s secret, so important that newly reborn Netheril
would send envoys to unearth it?
Olleth: This underwater slave city was once
ruled by the Arcanum of Olleth, a group of spell-
6/18/08 8:08:23 AM
S E A O F FA L L E N S TA R S
casting morkoths. In their arrogance, the morkoths
ambushed a kuo-toan delegation on business of the
Sea Mother. Half the embassy was slain and eaten,
and the survivors were brought to Olleth as slaves.
The kuo-toas pledged to the Sea Mother made
poor slaves, for their resources were only a prayer
away. Within a few years, the Arcanum suffered a
series of disasters secretly caused by kuo-toa priests.
The Spellplague was the final straw. One in three
morkoth mages dissolved in blue fire, and the survivors lost their spellcasting ability. The kuo-toas rose
up and claimed the city for themselves. All morkoths
were purged, though other slave races were allowed
to remain—under new masters.
The kuo-toas enjoyed only a short span of independence. Olleth pledged itself to the Abolethic
Sovereignty not long after the city of Xxiphu rose.
The semidrowned streets of Olleth are a place of
nightmare. Rituals are presided over by mad-eyed
kuo-toas, with sacrificial victims taken from far and
wide to hallow and empower the Sovereignty.
Reeking Daman’s Treasure: On a lonely bit of
land north of the Pirate Isle lies “Reeking” Daman
Hanithorn’s ill-gotten booty, or so legend tells. The
treasure was buried twenty years ago, right before
Reeking Daman sailed away, never to be seen again.
For reasons unclear, Hanithorn hung up his pirate
boots to pursue some personal vendetta in Amn. His
treasure supposedly contains over a dozen chests of
silver and gold, diamonds, and jewels pilfered from
every nation that trades across the Sea of Fallen Stars.
It is thought to lie in the center of a mazelike sea cave
guarded by undead sahuagin and dozens of traps.
Tidepool of the Ancient Clasp: The sides of
this tidepool on Sembia’s coast are carved with all
manner of intricate pictographs no sage has been
able to identify. Not kuo-toan, sahuagin, or elven, the
inscriptions seem to portray seallike creatures in conflict with winged enemies. The winged beings appear
angelic in some depictions, devilish in others. The
shaft of the drowned pool reaches to a depth of only
some 30 feet when the tide is out, but when the tide is
in, some have reported it to be much deeper.
Wreck of the Halshan Myrai: The warship
Halshan Myrai, sailing under the flag of Cormyr, disappeared off the western coast of High Imaskar ten
years ago under mysterious circumstances. Some
Cormyrian nobles say that High Imaskar sunk the
ship in an act of war. High Imaskar denies any knowledge of the ship, and further asks what a warship was
doing off its coast in the first place.
Recently, a few crates stamped with the Myrai’s
flag washed ashore in Aglarond. One of the chests
contained barely decipherable correspondence
penned by the ship’s first mate, suggesting that the
warship carried secret and dangerous cargo out of
Cormyr. It had been ordered to ferry this cargo all
the way south down the River of Swords, through the
Lake of Salt, and on down to the Great Sea.
The cargo is described as a set of five matching
ebony sarcophagi, each bearing a strange blue-burning scar on its face. According to the first mate, the
image of the crates so haunted him, the captain, and
the rest of the crew that no sleep could be had on the
ship without the ebony shapes showing up in their
dreams.
C
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6/18/08 8:08:23 AM
SEMBIA
Once a thriving merchant realm of independent citystates united only by a lust for gold, Sembia is now
part of the growing Empire of Netheril. This long
tradition of trade and commerce remains the central
unifying principal for this vassal state; Sembia is
Netheril’s trade portal to the rest of Faerûn.
The free cities of Urmlaspyr and Daerlun are only
nominally under Sembian control. After winning its
war against Sembia forty years ago, Cormyr insisted
that they remain neutral.
Sembia Lore
History DC 10: The Twelve Princes of Shade
claimed Sembia as a free protectorate following the
disastrous civil war of the mid-1370s. In the years
leading up to the Spellplague, that was the public
face of things, at least. In reality, Sembia was utterly
under the thumb of the Twelve Princes by the year
1380 DR, and by 1400 DR it was fully absorbed into
Netheril.
Streetwise DC 10: Outsiders are not welcome in
the floating cities of Shade and Sakkors, but the Sembian port cities of Saerloon, Selgaunt, and Yhaunn
are busy shipping centers even on the diminished
Sea of Fallen Stars. Netheril, gone from Toril for centuries, relied on Sembia to remake its economy and
to provide sea ports and capital for trade, as well as
soldiers and workers to protect and serve its needs.
Though the Shadovar maintain a tight grip on
Sembia, they have also grown dependent on it as
their only link to the outside world. The canniest of
the Sembian merchant princes have been able to
capitalize on that fact, filling their own coffers with
unprecedented riches.
Settlements and
Features
Sembia is a land of rich peaceful cities in the shadow
of Netheril.
Daerlun
The most heavily fortified city in Sembia, Daerlun lies
inside a great fortress built while it remained under
Sembia’s control. The wall was constructed to protect
Netheril’s trade cities from Cormyrian influence or
invasion. Shadovar magic has raised 500-foot-high
walls of magically hardened obsidian around the
city, the tallest curtain wall on Toril. Despite this
176
impressive defense, Sembian control of Daerlun
faltered in the face of clever Cormyrian stratagems
forty years ago. Rather than becoming what it saw
as a pawn of the western kingdom, though, Daerlun
declared itself a free city-state.
To maintain Daerlun’s independence, armies
of conscripts from across Sembia drill on massive
parade grounds that compete for space with a bustling marketplace and wealthy trade quarter. Patrols
from Daerlun on foot and astride veserabs (page
263) and griffons are often encountered in the Vast
Swamp in the south, along the Thunder Peaks, and
even in Sembian-controlled Tasseldale, Featherdale,
and Scardale.
Saerloon
Metropolis; Population 50,000
The port city of Saerloon is the least stable of the Sembian cities, and more prone to trouble from resistance
cells, thieves’ guilds, demon cults, and other threats
both petty and severe.
A new Lord Governor, Haelia Johannes, was
installed only a year ago with a mandate from her
Netherese masters to bring Saerloon under control.
She has spent the first part of her term searching out
and destroying any hint of the worship of any deity
other than Shar, desecrating and destroying one
hidden shrine or secret temple after another.
Selgaunt
The capital city of Selgaunt is a bustling metropolis
that welcomes travelers and merchants from across
the world. It is the site of the largest Sharran temple
in Sembia, and something of a showplace for the
Netherese overlords, who view Selgaunt as a shining
example of the benefits of their divine right to rule.
The Lord High Governor: Selgaunt is the home
of the chief administrator of Sembia, the Lord High
Governor, Thamalon Uskevren II. Thamalon was the
first of Sembia’s merchant princes to ally with the
RESISTANCE
Organized resistance remained active in Sembia for only
the first decade or so of Netherese rule. Now, through
the careful application of gold, assassination, and magical coercion, the Shadovar have little to fear from their
Sembian subjects, who have found a profitable and largely
peaceful life serving their powerful allies.
Still, small groups of resistance fighters are organized
in local cells, rarely numbering more than a score or so
adventurers and outlaws. They commit acts of petty
terrorism, spread inflammatory broadsheets, and occasionally assassinate a government official.
6/18/08 8:08:27 AM
SEMBIA
Shadovar and has held this post for over a century.
He is the public face of the very private Netherese
administration. He long ago embraced the Netherese way of life, to the point of allowing himself to be
transformed into a shade—the highest honor the Shadovar bestow upon their servants.
Urmlaspyr
With the exception of Ordulin (see below), the city
of Urmlaspyr suffered the most during the early
days of Netherese rule. It was once known as a city
of temples, where people from all over Faerûn were
welcomed as friends.
When the worship of any deity but Shar was
officially banned by the Shadovar, the merchant
princes of Urmlaspyr resisted with disastrous results.
Temples and manor houses alike were razed by magical fire, and the merchant princes, their retainers,
and families were stolen away to Shadow or enslaved
by petty merchants and thieves elevated in status
by Netherese decree. Since the city cast off its Sembian shackles, temples and merchant manors have
returned but have yet to achieve their former status.
Reminders of Sembian control yet remain. Parts of
the city are still haunted by shadow creatures, and a
blanket of clouds conjured by a Netherese archwizard
seventy years ago perpetually hides the sun despite the
best efforts of modern magecraft to remove the blight.
Trade goods flow again through Urmlaspyr’s
ports since Cormyr enforced its edict that Urmlaspyr
remain free. Indeed, a contingent of Purple Dragons,
on loan from Cormyr, is posted in the city to guard it
from peril. Of course, the true threat to Urmlaspyr’s
independence is more likely to be hidden machinations than open assault.
SHADOW CARAVANS
Shadow caravans combine the talents of the Shadovar
with the mercantile genius of Sembian merchant princes.
Pulled by both common beasts of burden and creatures
of shadow, these caravans travel through the Shadowfell
to the farthest reaches of Toril, trading everywhere—even
in realms such as Cormyr where the governments have
outlawed them.
Because they’re not restricted by road dangers, fees,
and portage costs, shadow caravans have a significant
competitive edge. They can capitalize on opportunities
that would take traditional caravans or shipping operations months to even identify.
The shadow caravans hold to schedules kept as closely
guarded secrets by Master Caravanner Ghillad, a Shadovar
who operates from a hidden location known to outsiders
only as the Fringe Grounds.
Yhaunn
Constructed on the remains of a once-rich mineral
quarry, the port city of Yhaunn was ravaged by the
Spellplague. The resilient Sembians, with magical
help from their Shadovar overlords, made the most
of the uncanny changes that the Spellplague brought
about. They have adapted so well that the city has
grown from its pre-Spellplague population, even
though nearly ten thousand were killed when the
towering cliffs of stone on which its wealthiest districts were built broke away and became earthmotes.
Where once the city’s wealthiest citizens competed
for status by building their mansions higher and
higher on the quarry walls, now the ultimate status
symbol is to live on the highest of the three dozen
earthmotes that comprise Yhaunn’s Air District.
The Ordulin Maelstrom: Once the capital city
of Sembia, Ordulin was consumed when a planar rift
tore the Adumbral Calyx (a nexus within the Shadowfell) from the plane. What was left was a city-sized
black whirlpool of wild shadowstuff. Hanging above
it on a mobile earthmote is a Shadovar citadel—the
site of bizarre and dangerous experiments designed
to resurrect the Shadow Weave.
The Fringe Grounds: The Fringe Grounds are
primary a rally point for departing shadow caravans.
Here, Shadovar wizards use special runes permanently carved into earth nodes, enabling them to cast
the rituals necessary to send whole caravans into the
Shadowfell. Rumors place the Fringe Grounds in
locations as varied as a cavern under the city of Selgaunt, the heart of the Ordulin Maelstrom, or deep in
a rugged valley in the Thunder Peaks.
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6/18/08 8:08:27 AM
TETHYR
Tethyr is a land of intrigue. It sports fertile rolling
plains, tall mountains, an expansive seacoast, and
deep forests. Most of the country is made up of grassland, and most citizens of Tethyr live in settlements
along major trade routes through these plains.
This abundant realm is a feudal one. Knights ride
the roads, and land is essential for status. Common
folk are free, and many are members of powerful guilds. Counts select commoners as sheriffs to
oversee local areas. The counts answer to dukes subservient to the monarch.
Tethyr Lore
History DC 15: Tethyr was once a great forest
inhabited by elves and home to Shanatar, an ancient
and magnificent dwarven kingdom. Over the centuries, monsters of all sorts have ravaged the lands now
within Tethyr’s borders, and the nation has fallen
to armies from old Calimshan. More recently, civil
war ended with the crowning of Queen-Monarch
Zaranda and her consort, King Haedrak III, whose
line remains on the throne.
With the chaos of the Spellplague, Calimshan’s
disintegration, and troubles with the monsters of
Muranndin, the monarchy has weakened. Tethyr is
too big to be ruled easily from Darromar, so dukes
and counts have little help from the crown. Remote
Velen, cut off by Muranndin, used this situation as an
excuse to secede from Tethyr in 1423 DR.
Streetwise DC 10: Queen Anais has had a
troubled rule, starting with the machinations of
her half-sister Evonne Linden, who made a play for
the throne. In 1469 DR, all the queen’s nieces and
nephews were slain in what has come to be called
the Children’s Massacre—all except for her niece
Ysabel, the only surviving heir to the throne. That
178
same night, in a coordinated attack in another town,
Evonne Linden was also killed.
Settlements and
Features
Tethyr’s lands are settled along trade roads. The open
plains are a treacherous wilderness.
Darromar
This beautiful city stands on the northwestern bank
of the River Ith. From Faerntarn, her palace on the
Ithal Crag overlooking the city and river, Queen Anais
handles royal dealings. She maintains a huge military
force in Darromar, five days’ ride from any point in the
land. Queen Anais takes the advice of the Royal Council, which includes seventeen-year-old Ysabel Linden.
Overseeing the city is a lord mayor whom the
queen appoints every three years. The lord mayor
administers the needs of the city, deals with city
guilds, and commands the fine Darromar Watch.
Under the queen, the lord mayor, and the standing
military, Darromar is a safe and efficient city.
Darromar also holds the wizards’ academy Black
Towers, a huge market for mercenary work, and an
underground of thieves. Extraordinary and odd folk
come to Darromar for magical learning. Adventurers
and sellswords come for work fighting the realm’s
many monsters. And despite the prominence of
the Shadow Thieves, Darromar’s underworld offers
ample opportunities for the morally lax.
Mosstone
Wilderness Trade Town; Population 3,000
Mosstone stands under the boughs of the great trees
of the Wealdath, much like any walled trade town
along the Trade Way. Caravanmasters coming from
the north welcome the sight of the Wealdath as a sign
of relief from the tolls of Muranndin. They view the
sun-dappled gates of Mosstone as the first real shelter
along the road after the trials of that
monster-infested land.
Most people here make their
living working in services that cater
to merchant traffic. They all place
great importance on living in accord
with the surrounding forest and
the elves of the Wealdath. This is
because druids maintain a powerful
circle here, ruled by the Archdruid
of Mosstone, whose grove surrounds
the Great Oak of Mosstone. The
town is ruled by consensus, and the
townsfolk watch out for the needs
of their fellows with a generosity
unheard of in most lands.
6/18/08 8:08:29 AM
Riatavin
Metropolis; Population 80,000
An Amnian city that seceded to join Tethyr in
1370 DR, Riatavin has been the major spur of
trade between the Dragon Coast, Ormpetarr of the
Vilhon Wilds, and the Sea of Fallen Stars. Riatavin is
unusual in Tethyr in that a group of merchants, the
so-called Chosen Council, runs it rather than the
nobility. Faith in Waukeen is primary in the city, and
a number of powerful arcanists also have had influence here since the days of secession. Shadow Thieves
have controlled the illicit side of the city for centuries.
Riatavin and its lands have suffered greatly under
the threat of bandits from Erlkazar, just across the
river. The city’s population has dwindled over the
years, leaving parts abandoned or full of desperate
souls. A number of vampires have infiltrated the city,
working on extending the reach of Erlkazar’s Night
Barony. The Shadow Thieves actually stand as a
defense against this incursion, and Riatavin’s Chosen
Council would richly reward anyone who brings the
vampires to light.
Saradush
City; Population 35,000
Saradush has suffered decline since the days of the
Spellplague, even though it remains a main passage
to the independent city-states in the Lake of Steam
region. The city lies in the foothills of the Omlarandin Mountains, and rolling farmlands surround it
to the west. Saradush is the source of Omlar gems,
useful in some rituals, that come from the mountains.
But the Night Barony of Erlkazar has made life in the
Saradush region difficult.
Wealdath
Elven Forest; Population 100,000
This woodland, whose name means “Unspoiled
Woods,” is old and deep, but not particularly dense.
Two major elf tribes thrive here, the Suldusk and the
Elmanasse. These elves are closely allied with Tethyr
because of the royal line’s agreement to respect the
elven forest.
Fey creatures also roam the forest. At least one
portal into the Feywild lies in Wealdath. The fey have
chased out gnolls, but groups of ettercaps, monstrous
spiders, goblins, and ogres remain. The forest is
also home to green dragons, the brood of an ancient
wyrm. An ancient gold dragon named Garlokantha
is an enemy of the greens and a friend to Tethyr; she
keeps the other dragons in check.
Zazesspur
Port Metropolis; Population 100,000
Once the nation’s capital, Zazesspur is a mixture of
Tethyrian and Calishite culture. The great port, in
which almost any item can be purchased, sprawls
around the mouth of the River Sulduskoon. It’s a
major source of goods and materials for Tethyr, as
well as a departure point for sea trade. A group of
nobles known as the Council of Lords rules the city,
but guilds and the Shadow Thieves have great influence here. Zazesspur also houses most of Tethyr’s
gnomes and their leader, the Samnilith.
Branch of Linden: This human supremacist
organization started by Anais’s grandfather Reinhold
blames Queen Anais for the Children’s Massacre of
1469 DR. It plots to overthrow Anais and put Ysabel
on the throne.
Mount Thargill: A dead volcano in the Starspire
Mountains, Mount Thargill houses the secret lair of
the elder red dragon Balagos of the Flying Flame.
Balagos enters his lair through the Wyrmwell, an
empty lava tube in Thargill’s caldera. He keeps two
other weaker dragons captive to protect his lair, and
helmed horrors defend his hoard. The dragon also
maintains a network of agents in Tethyr and Amn to
watch for those plotting against him.
Balagos intermittently and unpredictably takes tribute in gold and flesh from towns across Tethyr, Amn,
and north of the Cloud Peaks. He maintains another
lair in Smokespire, the easternmost peak in the Troll
Mountains of Amn. This spot attracts both ignorant
adventurers and Cult of the Dragon adherents.
Old Shanatar: The dwarven land of Shanatar
existed under much of what is now Tethyr. Darromar,
Myratar, and Zazesspur, as well as Memnon in Calimshan, are built on dwarven ruins. Ancient tunnels,
lost and sealed long ago, can be found under all these
cities. They connect to Old Shanatar, an Underdark
realm full of gray dwarves, drow, goblins, and kuotoas. Old dwarfholds are common in Tethyr, and
ancient dwarven wealth, constructs, and traps await
those bold enough to delve into Old Shanatar.
Orgoth’s Tower: This decrepit tower stands in
the foothills a half-day’s ride east of Riatavin, near
the edge of the Shilmista Forest. Orgoth the Tainted
lived here and stored the famed magic tome the
Alcaister within, along with decades of necromantic
research. Orgoth died at the claws of three fiends he
summoned and couldn’t control. Elves of the Shilmista warn explorers away from the place, which holds
Orgoth’s monstrous research, wondrous treasures,
and more than one demon.
TETHYR
Mosstone is a gateway to the Wealdath, the Starspire Mountains, and, for the brave, Muranndin.
Many foresters and adventurers are based here. As
such, Mosstone enjoys the protection of many professional warriors and mages, in addition to the druids
and allied elves.
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6/18/08 8:08:30 AM
THAY
A dark and forbidding land, Thay is mostly windswept
mountains, twisted badlands, and arid vales. A pall of
smoke and ash from the raging volcanic eruptions of
its highest peaks smothers the land, blocking sunlight
and sometimes extending into neighboring territories.
Thay harbors the largest population of undead in
Faerûn. Wealthy and powerful individuals often join
Szass Tam’s new order in undeath. Conversely, an
undead slave won’t rebel or easily die, and doesn’t have
to be fed. Thay’s living citizens have a hard existence.
Thay Lore
History DC 20: Thay was once a living land,
home to the infamous Red Wizards. It was a thriving
if macabre society based on magically enhanced agriculture and slaves, trade in magic items, and the use
of arcane power unrestricted by morality. Szass Tam,
highest among the Red Wizards, engineered Thay’s
downfall to elevate himself.
During the Spellplague, the Plateau of Thay rose
thousands of feet, shattering the land and causing the
Thaymount to erupt. Debris from melting glaciers on
Thaymount spread more destruction. While these
catastrophes raged, Szass Tam made himself the
land’s regent. The Spellplague ended the civil war of
the rebel zulkirs (leaders of the Red Wizards).
Szass Tam then spent decades preparing a terrible
ritual. Just as the regent attempted it, the last few
exiled zulkirs and other enemies returned from the
Wizard’s Reach and foiled his mad plot, though they
were destroyed in so doing.
RED WIZARDS
Red Wizards were once purveyors of magic items across
Faerûn. However, civil war and the Spellplague spelled
the end of Thay as a mercantile power. Where the Red
Wizards were unpopular, the upheaval left their enclaves
open to attack and destruction. Luckier Red Wizards were
often cut off from their homeland. Many decided to stay
abroad rather than return to a Thay ruled by Szass Tam.
The people of Thay still refer to the arcanists among
them as Red Wizards, and only such mages are allowed to
wear red within Thay. But a small confederacy of magicitem dealers calling themselves Red Wizards still exists as
a trade concern. This organization is most powerful in the
major coastal cities of the Sea of Fallen Stars, as well as in
the Moonsea region—especially Mulmaster. It enjoys no
protection from Thay. Most non-Thayan folk now equate
“Red Wizard” with magic merchants rather than with
Szass Tam’s sinister nation.
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Streetwise DC 30: The forces of Thay are building ringing fortresses at Nethjet, Nethentir, and
Surcross bordering Thesk, as well as Undumor in
Aglarond. These fortresses use the same layout as
strongholds called Dread Rings within Thay. Szass
Tam is turning his attention outward again. For
Thay’s neighbors, war seems certain.
Thay is a cold, dry, and towering plateau land. The
higher one treads, the more devastated and monsterinfested the land becomes.
The Citadel
This ancient bastion of basalt is the seat of Szass
Tam’s power. Seated on a peak about 18,000 feet high
and located in blasted volcanic lands, the Citadel
is difficult to reach by overland travel. Tunnels far
under the fortress function as roads into its bowels.
Nobody comes uninvited to Thaymount, much less
the Citadel—and many who are invited wish they
hadn’t been.
Zulkir Council: Szass Tam’s vassals, the zulkirs
are the most powerful arcanists in Thay. All the
zulkirs on the council are liches, and most of them
practice some form of necromancy. These seven
advise the regent but are obedient to his will. Each
also acts as a steward over certain domestic duties.
But the zulkirs can’t be bothered with the day-to-day
needs of Thay’s territories (tharchs), so a chain of governors (tharchions) and bureaucrats (autharchs) see
to such tasks.
The zulkirs maintain private fortresses scattered
over the Thaymount. Treacherous roads and tunnels connect them to the Citadel and one another.
Together with the Citadel, these strongholds hold
most of Thay’s military reserves.
The Dread Legions: Composed of undead, as
well as gnolls, orcs, and other subjugated monsters,
the Dread Legions are Thay’s armies. Although this
force serves a primarily defensive purpose now, it
stands ready to threaten any of Thay’s neighbors.
Evidence of the legion’s efficacy stands in the form
of Undumor in Aglarond. Szass Tam sometimes dispatches elite units of the Dread Legions to other lands
for his own purposes.
The Alaor
Contested Island; Population 25,000
In the power vacuum following the failed zulkirs’
revolt, Thay has retaken a portion of the Alaor. Thay’s
ships array themselves between this isle and the city
of Bezantur. Both places serve a military role. Thay
has no allies or trade partners, though it seeks influence among the pirates on the Sea of Fallen Stars.
6/18/08 8:08:31 AM
T H AY
Eltabbar
Former Capital City; Population 100,000
Whether by miracle or design, the former capital of
Thay survived the changes to the land, as did Lake
Thaylambar to the city’s north. The River Eltar flows
through the city and a series of elaborate canals
into the nearby lake. When the zulkirs must handle
affairs of state by dealing with human vassals, they do
so in the Council Hall of Eltabbar.
Tharchion Sylora Salm oversees the city. Recently
handpicked by Szass Tam, she also sees to the needs
of visiting zulkirs. Within her manor in the city’s
center, Sylora discovered a teleportation circle connected to another well-hidden one inside the Towers
of the Blade, the seat of power in the city of Mulmaster. Sylora found and established several other
teleportation circles in Mulmaster, including one in
a magic shop owned by the Red Wizard trade federation. She believes even Szass Tam is ignorant of these
tools. Perhaps she is correct.
From Eltabbar, Sylora also oversees the lands
north of Lake Thaylambar and the Thaymount.
Magic controls the volcanic ash and smoke, as well
as moderating weather in parts of this area. Limited
agriculture there supports Thay’s living citizens.
Lake Thaylambar
Freshwater Lake
This deep, icy lake is the site of rich fishing and
dragon turtles. Necromancers created more than one
undead dragon turtle from those slain in the lake.
These creatures serve Thay’s navy in Lake Thaylambar, the Alamber Sea, and Lake Mulsantir.
Plateau of Thay
High Desert
The edges of this highland now largely define the
borders of Thay. Rough canyons and mountains form
a tableland averaging 9,000 feet in elevation. High
Thay rises in the northwestern part of the plateau, to
about 11,000 feet. Most prominent in High Thay is
the volcanic Thaymount, the tallest peaks of which
tower over 22,000 feet.
Cracked badlands, dotted with alpine meadows
and divided by broken roads and winding rivers,
make up some of the highland. Many settlements
razed by Thay’s upheaval still lie in ruin in these
areas. Other places are settled, magically protected
and manipulated to produce crops and livestock.
Tax Stations: Fortresses operated by the Dread
Legions dot Thay, especially along routes that offer
the easiest travel. These keeps, called tax stations,
watch the roads and charge a small fee to pass
through. They keep watch for unauthorized intruders
and escaped slaves.
Burning Amruthar: Once an independent city
within Thay, Amruthar bore the brunt of the land’s
devastation. Earthquakes splintered it, lava and
mud wrecked some parts, and a rain of rock and
ash buried others. Deep chasms that formed within
the city filled with molten rock that never cooled.
Miraculously, the black ziggurat dedicated to Kossuth
survived the ruin.
The high priest of that temple, the mummy lord
Chon Vrael, maintains the place to this day and welcomes worshipers, defying the Thayan ban on deities
other than Bane. Chon is a fierce enemy of Szass
Tam. The priest commands a small army of fanatics and elemental creatures, including a tribe of fire
giants, which helps him keep the city free of Thayan
control for now. Some suspect that the Regent of Thay
tolerates Burning Amruthar for his own reasons.
Dread Rings: In the decades following the onset
of the Spellplague, Szass Tam spent all his time and
vast amounts of Thay’s resources building a set of fortress-sized rings to use as the focus for a great ritual.
Though few people ever knew or now know the original purpose of the so-called Dread Rings, had the
ritual succeeded, the rite would have propelled the
lich beyond even godhood. These fortresses persist
in Thay as a reminder of Szass Tam’s failed bid for
ultimate power. The lich can’t use Thay for his ritual
again—he must conquer untainted soil. No longer able
to serve their primary purpose, the Dread Rings still
stand as citadels of evil, housing great treasures and
greater horrors.
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6/18/08 8:08:32 AM
THESK
commerce, offering another sort of challenge or
opportunity.
Thesk sits on the northeast shore of the Sea of Fallen
Stars. Nicknamed the Gateway to the East, Thesk
is where the fabled Golden Way trade road begins.
From Telflamm to Mulsantir, this road is filled with
caravans carrying all sorts of goods and people from
Kara-Tur.
Theskians are tolerant and imperturbable people.
Exotic persons and diverse customs are normal
where east meets west. In light of the Rashemi suspicion of foreigners, Thesk seems a welcoming place to
settle. It even boasts a few civilized orcs, remnants of
war against the Tuigan Horde.
Thesk Lore
History DC 15: Thesk formed as a confederation
of trading settlements. Trade along the Golden Way
has made Theskians a comfortable people.
The Tuigan Horde invaded Thesk in 1360 DR
and quickly laid waste to many of the northern
settlements. An army of unified peoples, led by King
Azoun of Cormyr, met the horde in Thesk and was
victorious at Phsant. Still, Thesk was in disarray for
years after the attack.
History DC 20: About eighty years ago, a Shou
hero named Tai Shing arose in Phsant. He battled the
criminal gangs that dominated the city, driving them
underground. Tai Shing became First Council Lord of
Phsant and went on to be elected the first Suzerain of
Thesk.
Since Tai Shing’s death in 1453 DR, Thesk has
been a patchwork of feuding nobles, powerful merchants, secret societies, and hidden gangs. The
current suzerain, a female orc named Vunmal Murn,
is a weak compromise candidate who stays out of
everyone’s business while fomenting a rivalry with
Aglarond over Tannath Gap.
Streetwise DC 15: About half of Thesk’s human
population is made up of Shou humans from KaraTur. The other half is people of mixed Damaran
and Rashemi blood. Many nonhumans also settle in
Thesk to seek their fortune, such as elves from the
Forest of Lethyr, gnomes from the Dragonjaw Mountains, and goliaths from the Thesk Mountains.
Thesk is a land rich in opportunity. Money is the
only true authority here. Each settlement has a council of oligarchs to rule it, and the most prominent
of these rulers form the Council of Thesk. Within
Thesk, those who have the ambition and ability can
rise to power through guile or heroics without the
need for blue blood. Powerful criminal gangs and
clans are deeply entrenched in Theskian cities and
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Settlements and
Features
Most of Thesk is an empty plain; the nation’s major
settlements crowd the Golden Way.
Recently, Szass Tam’s forces have built roads to
and fortified the broken towns of Nethentir, Nethjet,
and Surcross. Theskians eye these developments with
apprehension.
Dragonjaw Mountains
Coastal Range
These peaks rise starkly on Thesk’s southern border,
forming a sheer wall against the Sea of Dlurg to the
south. In the west, the range forms a sharp peninsula called Cape Dragonfang, which ends in a tall
mountain called the Dragon’s Tooth. Sailors use the
peninsula and the Dragon’s Tooth as landmarks.
Shy gnome clans inhabit the whole Theskian part
of the Dragonjaws. These gnomes avoid strangers
and ambush anyone who resembles a Thayan. They
farm alpine meadows and caverns, and mine the
mountains for riches, which some of them trade in
Milvarune, Ethvale, and Phent.
Copper dragons live on the Dragon’s Tooth in the
west, as well as a forked peak called the Old Swords
in the east. These dragons range over the Dragonjaws,
brooking no draconic rivals. Filauxerimos, an ancient
copper dragon, is the patriarch of this loose clan. He
and his kin keep a watch against Thayan advances,
and they might prove to be allies of Aglarond against
the forces of Undumor.
Phsant
Where the armies of the western alliance put down
the Tuigan Horde, Phsant is the cultural center of
Thesk and a layover point for most who travel east
or west. Its diversity is astounding, even for Thesk.
Thesk supports a large population of civilized orcs
and half-orcs, and Phsant has the largest population
of orc-blooded citizens in the nation.
Shou-Town: Phsant is also home to the biggest
population of Shou people in Thesk. Like every
Theskian settlement, it has a city ward dedicated to
Shou culture, but Phsant’s Shou-Town is the largest in
Thesk. Anyone seeking an aspect of eastern culture
can find it here.
One such societal element is the criminal one—the
yakuza came to Thesk along with their more honest
kin. Yakuza disdain outright theft, preferring other
illicit activities and violent work, such as assassination and intimidation. Nonetheless, they clash with
the Shadowmasters in Phsant and elsewhere.
6/18/08 8:08:34 AM
THESK
Telflamm
Telflamm is Thesk to most outlanders. Even though the Council of
Thesk recognizes no one settlement
as the nation’s capital, Telflamm’s
prominence makes that point moot.
Founded by the Balindre Impilturan noble house (whose company,
the Royal Company of Shou Lung,
also pioneered much of the Golden
Way), Telflamm is as far into Thesk
or the East as many ever travel.
A prince of the Balindre line
once ruled here, but with the
death of that line’s final scion, Telflamm passed into oligarchy. Its
Merchants’ Council now manages
the city’s affairs, and the council’s
leader is given stewardship over
old Castle Balindre. The powerful
criminal guild known as the Shadowmasters, servants of Shar and users of shadow power, is the real
authority in the town, but it allows the council and its
leader to maintain the appearance of working against
corruption.
Xiang Temple: Telflamm is home to an order of
monks who train endlessly to master fighting with
swords, spears, staffs, and most of all their bodies.
Xiang Temple’s warriors stay out of Telflamm’s
politics, and no faction in the city wishes to provoke
them.
Thesk Mountains
Inland Range
Steep but short, the Thesk Mountains rise quickly
from the plains to a height of about 7,000 feet. Landslides and subsidence are common, so travelers who
aren’t experienced mountaineers face grave danger
from the environment alone. Strange ancient roadways weave through the crags, built by an unknown
people and broken by the ravages of time. The Thesk
Mountains shelter native hill giants, ogres, goblins,
and goliaths, as well as orcs descended from those
who fought the Tuigan Horde.
Gang Wars: Yakuza and western gangs, especially the Black Dragons and the Shadowmasters,
fight for territory all over Thesk. In the western
settlements, the Shadowmasters are ascendant, as
the yakuza are in the east. Phsant is an underworld
battleground, with the Black Dragon clan on top most
of the time. These gangs realize that they exist only
because they maintain a low profile and don’t overtly
harm trade, keeping the citizens from forcing the
authorities to crack down. A lot of money and glory
could be had by someone willing to take the fight to
the gangs, maybe even pitting them openly against
one another.
Mount Nirg: This dark peak’s gravelly slopes
wind more than 10 miles through the Thesk Mountains. Ancient tombs and ruins dot its lower reaches,
and the old roads found elsewhere in the mountains
are more numerous here. On a tor near the summit,
facing east toward Thay, is a drow outpost for the city
of Phaundakulzan (see “Undrek’Thoz,” page 224).
The interior of Mount Nirg houses drow enclaves and
winding stairs that lead to this watchtower.
Bonedark Hills: The Spellplague significantly
altered Thesk’s eastern reaches when the rising of
Thay created a broad area of steep, broken terrain.
Theskians call this expanse of badlands the Bonedark
Hills, since the Thaymount’s eruptions often blot out
the sun and cover the ground here with gray ash.
Thayan soldiers, both undead and living, patrol this
bleak landscape, especially near their forts in Nethjet,
Nethentir, and Surcross.
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6/18/08 8:08:35 AM
TURMISH
A once pastoral land nestled between two mountain ranges, Turmish was forever changed by the
Spellplague, which redrew its coastline and put longstanding traditions to the test.
Turmish Lore
FESTIVALS
Two major festivals are observed throughout Turmish.
Feast of the Moon: Though this feast is celebrated
throughout the rest of the world in winter, Turmish
observes it on the first full moon after Midsummer. It is
the one day that Turmians allow themselves to truly relax,
enjoy what they’ve earned over the preceding year, and
spend time with their families and friends. Turmian merchants go to great lengths to return home in time for the
Feast of the Moon.
The Reign of Misrule: Ten days after Highharvestide is
the Reign of Misrule, a day devoted to destructive celebrations and petty civil unrest in which the normally serious
and reserved Turmians let go of all restraint.
184
Turmish is a land of wild coasts and social and political extremes.
Alaghôn
By far the largest city in Turmish, Alaghôn was
founded in –37 DR by Chondathan settlers as a
mercantile trading post on the Sea of Fallen Stars.
It became one of the Inner Sea’s busiest ports, but
all that ended when the sea withdrew. The Turmian
merchant fleet never completely recovered.
Though Alaghôn still enjoys a reasonable standard
of living, it’s not nearly the boomtown it was a century
past. Boarded-up buildings and shabby storefronts
mar the streets.
Alaghôn’s curious architecture is the result of the
Chondathan humans building over existing structures left by a previous dwarven civilization. The
dwarves also left an abandoned mine beneath the
city streets. This maze of subterranean tunnels has
never been fully explored.
Nonthal
Nonthal is the most peaceful and stable city in Turmish, and the citizens are set on keeping it that way.
Though not entirely unwelcoming to visitors, it tends
to give adventurers a chilly reception, even though
there’s no shortage of them passing through.
RON LEMEN
History DC 10: For centuries, Turmish was
known as a realm of merchants, not unlike Sembia,
where trade and commerce were the rule of the day.
Held in check by a powerful band of druids, the cities
of Turmish were not allowed to grow beyond a certain point, and the result was a politically stable and
affluent realm with a small population enjoying considerable wealth.
That all changed when the Spellplague ripped
through Turmish, erasing many of its closest neighbors and draining the Sea of Fallen Stars to leave its
busy port of Alaghôn high and dry. Now a stop along
the route for fanatics on scar pilgrimages (page 193),
torn by increasingly competitive and desperate merchant costers, the old Turmish has been replaced by a
realm always on the edge of chaos.
The realm is ruled by a parliamentary democracy,
embodied by the Assembly of Stars, which elects one
of its own as chief administrator.
Streetwise DC 10: To the uninitiated, the
people of Turmish come across as gruff and impolite, and indeed many are just that. They are serious,
business-minded people who disdain the luxury of
social niceties. The once welcoming and cosmopolitan Turmians have grown increasingly xenophobic
over the difficult past century and are guarded and
suspicious of strangers, even though they remain
dependent on outside trade.
6/18/08 8:08:36 AM
TURMISH
The city has long been said to hold a hidden cache of
magic items, secreted by a long-dead mage in Nonthal’s
Hold. The hold can be found at the end of Nonthal’s
Path, which winds from the city center and eventually
into the Feywild. Few who dare walk it ever come back,
and no one has returned with the fabled magic items.
Sapra
Small City; Population 8,500
Sapra is Turmish’s only active port. Though nowhere
near as busy as Alaghôn once was, goods from all
over the Inner Sea pass through it.
The citizens of Sapra tend to be fearful of those
who flamboyantly wield extraordinary power, and
the public display of such activity, though no longer
illegal, is strongly discouraged.
Xorhun
Not too much more than a caravan stop along the
Halondar (the trade road connecting to Hlondath),
Xorhun is most notable for its strange mix of citizens.
Many eladrin who once dwelled in Xorhun have
migrated to Myth Drannor. The remaining population is split evenly between elves, half-elves, and
gnomes. A small community of kobolds, once bitter
rivals from the Orsraun Mountains, have settled
peacefully in Xorhun in a ghetto neighborhood
known as Koboldtown.
hundred of its citizens managed to survive, and the
city was erased from the map.
Years later, after the lava had cooled, caves opened
into the buried city. Bold adventurers dug down to
find it eerily preserved—and overrun with creatures
from the Underdark.
Ironcloak: Morningstar Hollows is a ruined village, the remains of a logging operation destroyed by
the Emerald Enclave. Rumors of riches left behind
when Lord Ironcloak was killed have persisted for
centuries, and continue to attract curious adventurers.
Morningstar Hollows: Not far to the north of
Ironcloak is another abandoned village along the
banks of the Alaoreum River. Forerly occupied by
humans, it was resettled by lizardfolk. But over the
years, the lizardfolk were so harried by adventurers
seeking fame and fortune that they too abandoned
the village for the Wetwoods. Today, the ruins are
home to a gang of bandits who prey on scar pilgrims.
Alaghôn’s Undercity: The former dwarven mines
that honeycomb the bedrock under Alaghôn have
been sealed in most places, but a few entrances to
the Undercity remain. Not a few adventurers have
braved their dark reaches in search of plunder. The
Assembly of Stars neither encourages nor condemns
such expeditions, hoping that someone will find some
treasure or vein of precious metal it can exploit—or at
least stop the monsters that occasionally wander up
from the maze of tunnels.
Gildenglade, the Buried City: The volcano
Mount Kolimnis in the central Aphrunn Mountains
erupted in 1423 DR. The city of Gildenglade, once
home to nearly 50,000 people, was buried under
hundreds of feet of volcanic mud and ash. Only a few
LOCAL CUSTOMS
Many of Turmish’s exotic customs remain in place, not the
least of which is the square-cut beard worn by Turmian
men. They also continue to mark their foreheads with
dots: one dot indicates that one can read, two that one
can write, and three that one practices magic. These marks
of respect are occasionally faked, and some purveyors of
magic remove the third dot before traveling to Sapra.
THE EMERALD ENCLAVE
Founded in 374 DR by devoted druids, the Emerald
Enclave once worked to preserve nature alongside civilized folk and often held more power than the Assembly
of Stars. The druids were based on the island of Ilighôn,
but when the Spellplague came and the seas retreated,
the island became part of mainland Turmish.
The druids of the Emerald Enclave struggled to understand a rapidly changing world. They began to fight a losing
battle against the changes wrought by the Spellplague. As
years became decades, their original mission slowly perverted from one of respect for and guardianship of nature
to a vain struggle against forces far beyond their control.
Led by the increasingly mad female eladrin Cindermoon, the druids still struggle against the tide of change.
They send agents into the plaguelands to the south of
Turmish. The Emerald Enclave also attempts—often by
violent means—to stem the tide of scar pilgrims that pass
through Turmish.
Much of the order’s original membership has died or left
for the forests of Gulthandor. The remaining druids are less
and less experienced and capable. Too many are committed to nothing but a burning hatred of the spellscarred.
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6/18/08 8:08:37 AM
TYMANTHER
Tymanther is the realm of the dragonborn, a fragment of an old nation in a new place. Though draconic
humanoids are not novel to Faerûn, the dragonborn
are a distinct race with thousands of years of history,
culture, and myths all their own. More than anything
else, Tymanther dragonborn are a martial folk, toughened by generations of fighting dragons.
The bulk of the dragonborn population in Tymanther resides in the mighty citadel city of Djerad
Thymar. Built to hold off a flight of attacking dragons, Djerad Thymar has become a sight renowned
throughout Faerûn for its incredible size, unique
shape, and impenetrable architecture.
Despite their gruff exterior, dragonborn are an
outgoing and energetic race, eager to make allies
wherever they can, willing to learn the ways of others,
and keen to show all the grandeur of their capital city.
Tymanther Lore
History DC 20: The dragon empires in Abeir
prospered for millennia on the labor of their dragonborn servitors. Rebel dragonborn clans sometimes
rose and prospered for a time, but the rebels of
Tymanchebar were most successful. Tymanchebar
ruled itself.
TYMANTHER POWER GROUPS
Several organizations vie for the hearts and minds of the
dragonborn in Tymanther.
Lance Defenders: The heart of Tymanther’s military
strength lies in its highly trained army, the Lance Defenders. They train with lances, among other weapons, both
on foot and mounted on the great bats sheltered in the
Lance Roost. Most citizens of Tymanther spend two years
as Lance Defenders, though only a small percentage make
a permanent career of service. One who rises high enough
might one day become Tymanther’s next vanquisher.
Platinum Cadre: The Platinum Cadre works to change
the dragon hatred of the people. It teaches that dragonborn are the ancient children of the dragon god Bahamut,
not servitors bred by the ancient wyrms of Abeir. To
dragonborn, the idea of a good dragon is alien, so the
Platinum Cadre is ridiculed at best and often beset by
angry violence at worst.
Cult of the Dragon: A secret cell of the Cult of the
Dragon prospers in Djerad Thymar. The cult keeps its
inmost membership and beliefs secret, but it has a public
face called the Abeir Academy that welcomes dragonborn
who are down on their luck and looking for a new start.
In this way, the cell cultivates potential members.
186
Then a portion of Tymanchebar was ripped from
Abeir during the Spellplague. The inhabitants of
Returned Abeir have not yet learned that Tymanchebar fell hard across Unther’s lands. Already on
the brink of collapse and under military threat from
Mulhorand, Unther was completely undone. Invading
Mulhorandi armies and the downtrodden people of
Unther alike were mostly erased. The only original
residents of the area to survive relatively unscathed
were the stone giants of Black Ash Plain (now commonly called ash giants).
The newly arrived dragonborn assumed they had
suffered a particularly potent attack by their ancient
foe, the Empress Dragon of Skelkor (page 212).
After months of confusion, chaos, and bloodshed,
the Tymanchebar expatriates learned the truth. The
dragonborn then knew sadness, for their numbers
accounted for much of Tymanchebar’s strength. Their
absence likely spelled the doom of those from which
they were separated.
But the dragonborn are not easily bowed by sorrow.
They founded a new realm in Faerûn, named to honor
both the dragonborn province they had left behind and
the Faerûnian realm their own lands had replaced.
Streetwise DC 15: The dragonborn of Tymanther
hate dragons. They sometimes send small groups of
elite warriors to track down known lairs of powerful
dragons. Sometimes those elite warriors return with
a head for the Hall of Trophies in Djerad Thymar;
other times a particular group never returns.
Tymanther is particularly suspicious of Murghôm.
In spite of the very loose organization of the dragon
princes, Tymanther believes that Murghôm is well
on its way to developing into a cruel dragon-ruled
empire like those in Abeir.
Streetwise DC 20: Despite Tymanther’s desire
for friendly relations with others, it has won few true
allies. High Imaskar invites trade, believing that
such contact will keep the peace between the two
kingdoms. Chessenta is also friendly with Tymanther,
apparently fascinated by the draconic people.
Dragonborn who achieve fame abroad are celebrated as state heroes back in Tymanther. The
dragonborn see these few as emissaries of their race,
proving to the wide continent of Faerûn that they
have nothing to fear from dragonborn.
A great citadel-city dominates Tymanther. The land
is littered with the ruins of the old kingdom that was
swept away in the Spellplague.
Djerad Thymar
The citadel-city of Djerad Thymar is visible for miles.
Indeed, the cyclopean structure’s vast, pyramidal
silhouette looms like a mansion of the gods on earth.
6/18/08 8:08:38 AM
T YMANTHER
The city’s lowest foundation is a massive block of
granite that rises at least 200 feet above the surrounding land, the surface of which serves as Djerad
Thymar’s lowest street level. The citizens refer to this
district as the Catacombs for the tunnels that wind
through the foundation block.
Resting on this foundation are hundreds of massive stone pillars, each 50 feet in diameter, that
support an enclosed, four-sided structure vaguely
resembling a pyramid. However, the four walls do not
rise to a point, but rather to a flat, upper level exposed
to the elements. This is the City-Bastion, where the
bulk of the city’s dragonborn live. The open spaces
between the pillars form the Market Floor.
The combined height of the foundation, the pillars,
and the enclosed City-Bastion contribute to a structure that towers more than 1,500 feet into the sky.
Catacombs: This area houses the crypts of the
dead, as well as copious siege supplies, foundries, and
various machines of war such as ballistas, catapults,
and other equipment designed more for piercing
dragon scales than castle walls. Grand funeral rites
sometimes wend through these tunnels for days,
when heroes or other beloved individuals perish. The
dragonborn adorn themselves in white ash and sing
deep songs commemorating the fallen.
Market Floor: This level is a wide-open bazaar
of both permanent and temporary structures for
trade, commerce, and entertainment. Farmers haul
their produce up the Great Ramp to the Market Floor
daily. The Market Floor also serves as the festival hall,
site of monthly Grand Balls. Visitors are always welcome to attend these joyous occasions in which the
dragonborn relax, dance their strange dances, and
eat their exotic delicacies.
City-Bastion: This upper level is the protected,
elevated home for thousands of dragonborn. A central open gallery rises the height of the structure’s
interior, ringed by tier on tier of balconies that mark
dragonborn apartments. Magical light copiously
illuminates the enclosed City-Bastion, waxing and
fading to distinguish day from night. Each morning,
residents gather at their balconies to sing the Dawn
Greeting. The gallery floor is thick with plants that
thrive in the artificial light. The ceiling is the Lance
Roost, home to a colony of bats large enough to carry
armored dragonborn.
Above the City-Bastion is the open-air platform
called the Lance Barracks, where Tymanther’s army
trains under the sky, ever watchful for approaching
wings on the horizon.
Tymanther (and Djerad Thymar) is ruled by
Vanquisher Tarhun. A vanquisher (a cross between
monarch and general) shows fitness to rule by rising
through the military ranks over a period of at least
twenty years, and is finally promoted by general
acclaim of military peers. A new vanquisher, always a
dragonborn, is chosen every ten years. A vanquisher
usually has at least one dragon head in the Hall of
Trophies to his or her credit.
Black Ash Plain: Interwoven ashen spires move
across this wasteland like slow and solid dust devils.
Stone giants native to the area have learned to predict, and in some cases direct, the movement of
these landforms as they slide and weave across the
landscape. A few giant adepts can direct them so well
that they sometimes use the ash spires to attack trade
caravans attempting to travel up the Dust Road.
Ruins of Messemprar: Once a large city, Messemprar was precipitously drowned. Now the ruins
are the haunt of bloodthirsty sahuagin. Portions of
Messemprar’s taller buildings yet peek above the
water, especially the Tower of the Northern Wizards.
The tower was a guild house for powerful wizards
that remains magically sealed to this day.
Ruins of Unthalass: The dragonborn land didn’t
so much exchange places with Unther as fall on
it. Thus the old capital remains, buried and dead,
but accessible to explorers. Even before its ruin,
Unthalass supported a subterranean realm of monsters, including wererats and swarms of creatures
called lamias able to assume a humanoid guise. One
lamia rules the ruins of Unthalass as a queen.
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6/18/08 8:08:39 AM
VAASA
Vaasa is a desolate realm of bogs, tundra, and windswept mountains in the northwest corner of the
Bloodstone Lands. The dreaded Warlock Knights of
Vaasa gather an army of monsters of all descriptions,
preparing for the day when their terrible hordes will
sweep away neighboring kingdoms, spreading their
alien evil.
Vaasa Lore
History DC 15: Usually a conflict-fraught place,
Vaasa enjoyed a brief respite under the rule of
Gareth Dragonsbane of Damara in the wake of a war
between the two nations. Not long after a falling star
landed on the tundra, a sect of fierce arcane warriors
known as Warlock Knights arose to trouble Vaasa.
The Warlock Knights, servants of a mysterious but
all too real entity, drove off or conscripted the small
human and dwarf population, and then began to
organize and marshal the numerous humanoids and
monsters of the region.
Streetwise DC 20: An entity called Telos, Master
of the Iron Sky, is the focus of the Warlock Knights’
power. The most powerful members of the Warlock
Knights advise this mighty ruler of Vaasa as a group
called the Ironfell Council. Members of the council,
as well as their servants, also compete with each
other for status and power. See page 276 for more
information on the Warlock Knights of Vaasa.
BORDER AREAS
The Ride: This land is an open steppe stuck between
mountains, badlands, swamp, and Netheril. Tribes of
proud savages, orcs and humans, ride the plains. They
consider any outlander fair game, but they tolerate mining
communities that offer trade in exchange for the privilege
to extract the considerable mineral wealth of the surrounding highlands. Warlock Knight agents work among
the tribes, intending to annex the land one day soon.
The Tortured Land: Covered in lava formations that
were carved by ancient glaciers and smoothed by millennia of windborne grit, the Tortured Land is even less
hospitable than Vaasa. Its mesas and spires have shapes
that defy the imagination, some like glass, and more
than a few broken and jagged where time has taken its
toll. Swift, vicious monsters with strange forms roam the
waste.
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Some of the priests who call themselves Warlock
Knights are Banites. They might keep alive their connection with Bane’s center of worship in Mulmaster.
Certainly, all Warlock Knights view the rest of the
Moonsea region with greedy eyes. Damara, Impiltur,
and the stronger Moonsea cities keep a worried eye
on Vaasa, recognizing the Warlock Knights and their
potent master as a threat potentially as significant as
Thay, Netheril, or the Abolethic Sovereignty.
Streetwise DC 40: The Warlock Knights don’t
serve Telos. Instead, they siphon power from that
entity, which fell from the sky during the Spellplague.
Telos lies comatose under the fortress in the city that
bears its name.
Settlements and
Features
Vaasa lies to the far north, between Damara, the
Ride, and the Tortured Land. Few settlements provide safe haven in this harsh country.
Darmshall
Town; Population 5,000
Warlock Knights conquered this town, once ruled
by successful adventurers, quickly and brutally. It
supports a large number of free humans and fewer
nonhumans than other Vaasan communities. The
city’s fields and ranches support the Iron Divide, a
fortification that guards the Vaasan end of Bloodstone Pass.
Great Glacier
Slowly Melting Ice Mass
Though considerably diminished in size from the
time when cartographers dubbed it the Great Glacier,
the enormous ice flow remains impressive. Slowly,
the glacier gives up its secrets as the Novularond
Mountains surface from their icy prison. Ruins from
some lost civilization stand on those peaks.
White dragons and other creatures of cold roam
the glacial waste. Frighteningly organized and intelligent chillborn zombies emerge from the lost city
of Vaalathrim. Hungry and savage, the undead kill
warm-blooded creatures by sapping their heat.
The long-dead Ice Queen Iyraclea once lived in
a castle of sculpted ice somewhere in the northern
reaches of the Great Glacier. Previously known for
kidnapping spellcasters from southern lands to prolong her life by stealing their life and magic energy,
Iyraclea died during the Year of Rogue Dragons
(1373 DR). In her absence, her castle was colonized
by an outcast angel of vengeance named Zaol. The
Great Glacier slowly melts without Iyraclea’s attention and ministration.
6/18/08 8:08:40 AM
VA A S A
Palischuk
East of Castle Perilous,
Palischuk was once a
ruined city, but it was
rebuilt after the war with
Damara. Palischuk was
peaceful until the coming
of the Warlock Knights.
It is now the fortress city
of Knight Vindicator
Mansard Kanaoth, an
influential member of
the Ironfell Council who
wishes to be Vaasa’s king.
Claiming to be a direct
descendant of the Red
Wizard Zhengyi, Mansard has secretly broken ranks with the council and
assumed the old title of Witch-King. This Witch-King
has secretly gathered forces near Castle Perilous (see
below), but he has had no better luck in gaining entry
to the fortress than other Warlock Knights.
Mansard vociferously speaks out against the Voice
of Telos within the confines of his secret camp. Telos,
according to Mansard, is a tool to be used, not a being
whose unconscious dreams and whims should be
followed. He is more circumspect when he ventures
abroad, seeking other Warlock Knights to defect to
the side of his “rightful” rule.
Telos
Fortress City; Population 15,000
The Ironfell Council meets in a large central castle
in this city. Each councilor has a suite of rooms in the
castle but is only rarely in residence, because every
Warlock Knight serves as lord over a portion of land
in Vaasa. Some Warlock Knights claim only a small
keep and patch of surrounding land, but some have
true fortresses and miles of surrounding region to
rule. Every Warlock Knight maintains a private army,
which the council can summon at need.
Much of Telos’s population is composed of refugees from other Vaasan settlements that the Warlock
Knights destroyed when taking the land for themselves. In addition to humans and dwarves, the
fortress contains orcs, giants, goblins, and kobolds.
Many are slaves, some are slave-soldiers, and an elite
few are true Warlock Knights.
Damara. The lich was finally destroyed and his army
defeated, and his castle fell into ruin.
Two years ago, a great earthquake rattled northern
Vaasa and Damara. The ruined castle sloughed off
crumbling stone and the marks of age, revealing a
sleek and dark edifice beneath. Black runes shimmer with darkness on this castle’s walls, absorbing
the wan northern light but providing no clues to the
castle’s sudden rejuvenation.
The Warlock Knight whose lands were in view
of the old ruin wasted no time relating the event to
the Ironfell Council. The council dispatched a small
expedition, but the dark runes frustrated all attempts
at entry. Some Warlock Knights speculate that the
renewed bastion was built in a night by a horde of
demons once loyal to Zhengyi. Ironfell Councilors
worry about this sign of an old evil renewed, but only
a few mighty Warlock Knights have personally investigated and tried their power against the runes.
Delhalls: This mine, a twin to Talagbar, is rich
in gems and copper. A recent quake collapsed several main shafts into the Delhalls and sealed the
entrance. The local lord quickly dispatched dwarf
slaves to reopen the mine, but the new shafts revealed
spaces not previously known to exist. Exotic crystal
rock formations and strange, haunting melodies
resound in the depths, luring miners ever deeper.
Castle Perilous: Long ago, the famed Castle
Perilous was a seat of power. The self-styled WitchKing Zhengyi housed a huge army in and around the
castle, repeatedly using it to attack the kingdom of
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6/18/08 8:08:41 AM
VAR THE DROWNED
Once called Var the Golden for its glorious wheat
fields, this land now exists as a drowned, silt-covered
field of ruins.
Var Lore
History DC 10: The land called Var the Golden
precipitously collapsed beneath the waves in the Year
of Blue Fire. Thousands died immediately, and thousands more in the days and weeks afterward. The
land was no more.
Streetwise DC 20: The sunken ruins of Myrmyr,
Zelpir, and Pyratar, once rich trade cities, are treasure-rich prospects for adventurous salvagers. Tomb
raiders return with incredible treasures and even
more incredible tales.
Settlements and
Features
These doomed cities sank beneath the waves in the
turmoil of the Spellplague.
Myrmyr
Ruined Large City
The old capital of Var the Golden, Pyratar ranked
as one of the wealthiest cities of its day, so it is a site
potentially rich in salvage. Its promise of wealth and
magic lured many adventurers to the sunken city, but
few survived the rampages of a berserk blue dragon
that guards the drowned capital.
Once the Sublime Potentate Anwir Dupretiskava
(an elder blue dragon), Pyratar’s ruler went insane
when his realm sank beneath the waves. One of
his many treasures (a golden circlet) enables him
to breathe water, and he spends his time patrolling
the drowned ruins of his beloved city, eating anyone
foolish enough to venture into his demesne. Though
he reserves his ire for those venturing beneath the
waves, he occasionally attacks and sinks ships that
unknowingly sail too close.
Zelpir
Ruined Large City
The nearby sahuagin quickly annexed the ruins of
this sunken coastal city, calling it Feast from Above.
This name commemorates the best day of feeding
the nearby sahuagin tribe ever experienced when the
entire population of the large city plunged, screaming, into the cold salt sea.
FR ANCIS TSAI
Ruined Small City
Set amid rolling hills before the cataclysm, some of
the buildings of this city survived without breaking
up. Air pockets and cave systems that honeycomb the
nearby hills allowed a remnant population to survive,
though as food grew scarce, that population turned to
cannibalism. Rumors indicate that the drowned ruin
now shelters a colony of voracious ghouls that continue to thrive by hunting sea life above their homes
and in the extended tunnels of the Underdark that
the old cave systems ultimately connect to.
Pyratar
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6/18/08 8:08:43 AM
This small duchy takes a great deal of pride in its
freedom. Politically, it has a reputation for conducting
itself with honor, and it insists on the same high standards from its citizens and visitors to the realm. Some
say the standards might be too high. With enemies
on all sides, Velen conducts most of its trade by sea in
spite of constant threats by the pirates of the Nelanther Isles.
Velen Lore
History DC 10: Once a part of the realm of
Tethyr, Velen became an independent duchy in 1424
DR. The secession initially produced tension with
Tethyr, but the duchy worked hard to mend relations
over several years until it was able call Tethyr an ally
in truth.
Streetwise DC 15: Troubles beset this small
forested realm, with threats as diverse as pirates,
unquiet spirits, and politics. Many ghosts allegedly
haunt the city, but the living residents get by well
enough as long as they leave recalcitrant spirits in
peace.
To the east, the ogre kingdom of Muranndin cuts
Velen off from the Trade Way. The pirates of the
Nelanther Isles threaten its western coasts. Powerful
Amnian interests have rendered the Duke of Velen
almost powerless in his own land. Tethyr is far away
and spares few resources for its ally.
Possibly in response to the gathering threats, the
Duke of Velen has handed down stricter and stricter
laws in recent years, though their harsh nature is
concealed in rhetoric about honor for honor and the
loyalty due friends. Murderers are executed, which
most accept as an apt punishment, assuming the
criminals are truly guilty. Thieves have all their possessions confiscated, no matter the scale of the theft.
The thief must work in service of the robbed person
for a set period of time based on the value of the
stolen item. Even being caught in a lie is cause for a
whipping. Some citizens have begun speaking against
these draconian laws, but quietly, lest they besmirch
the Duke’s honor.
VELEN
VELEN
Settlements and
Features
The independent duchy of Velen claims all the land
comprising the Velen Peninsula.
Velen
The forested realm’s only major city is that from
which the region takes its name. Great walls of
burnished, copper-colored stone fortify Velen, protecting it from pirates and monsters alike. The wharf
contains several hidden defenses against privateers,
including great submerged chains that can be raised
to hem in and limit the mobility of attacking ships.
Ghosts are somewhat common in the city, sighted
about as often as shooting stars in the sky, and for as
long. Sometimes seen stalking the high walls after
dark, peering from dark windows, or moaning with
the wind in the eaves, they are something citizens
have learned to ignore, despite the fact that no one
really knows their origin or true nature.
Duke Calchais rules from a small, tidy castle that
has been in his family since the days when the dukes
and duchesses of Velen answered to the Queen of
Tethyr.
Unshol’s Lair: A deep, wooded ravine clogged
with thick, green webs serves as a lair for the enormous spider Unshol. The monster squats on the bones
of an adult copper dragon she vanquished in its own
lair.
Belthar’s Trove: The pirate captain Belthar Hellborn buried his treasure somewhere on the Velen
Peninsula inside an old ruin. The secret trove is
guarded by bound devils and a maze that drives its
victims insane.
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6/18/08 8:08:45 AM
VESPERIN
A young nation that coalesced from a handful of
independent city-states, Vesperin is a nexus for trade,
rumormongering, and skulduggery. Commerce
and corruption rule this land more surely than its
government. It is an exciting, dynamic place where
something’s always going on.
Vesperin Lore
History DC 10: This region was once called the
Vast, before the independent city-states united. The
area has seen an influx of immigrants, especially
the city of Ravens Bluff. Many Sembian merchants
relocated here in the face of Netheril’s occupation of
their homeland. A couple of decades ago, Netheril
outlawed all such immigration. Sembians who tried
anyway wound up dead.
Streetwise DC 10: Gold counts for more than
blood here. Vesperin is a place for intrigue, doublecrossing, and conversing with those normally met as
enemies on the battlefield.
With Sembia under the thumb of the Netherese,
Vesperin has flourished. Here, neutrality is the rule.
On the other hand, unlike in the Moonsea lands to
the north, basic rules of conduct are enforced in Vesperin; it’s not quite so bloody or literally cutthroat as
Mulmaster.
Settlements and
Features
Vesperin consists of three major cities: Tantras,
Calaunt, and Ravens Bluff.
Tantras
As capital, Tantras hosts the Golden Lords, a council of the most powerful, wealthy, and influential
merchants who rule as an oligarchy. As fortunes rise
and fall, people gain or lose their status as Golden
Lords (a term applied to both male and female council members). Despite these changes in personnel,
the council has acted in a remarkably consistent
manner, providing a reliable and stable government
that ensures the basic necessities of life for its people
while maintaining the status quo.
The business and residential districts display a
clear hierarchy, in the cost of items sold in shops and
in the price of homes. Ornamentation and embellishment is the norm, with thin layers of gold commonly
192
coating carriages, furniture, and even architectural
features. Of course, such ostentatious displays of
wealth attract the attention of unscrupulous individuals. Hence, the well-to-do hire personal guards,
household militias, and even small, private armies for
protection.
Calaunt
Important because of its ability to regulate trade
on the River Vesper, Calaunt has become vigilant
recently about pirates and raiders. A legal Writ of
Trade issued from the Merchant Dukes of Calaunt or
the Golden Lords of Tantras is required for travelers
to pass unmolested. Nonetheless gold, connections, or
blackmail can make even the questionable legal.
Ravens Bluff
Over the last hundred years, Ravens Bluff has
eclipsed Calaunt as the largest city in the region.
Danger, intrigue, action, and rumors abound in
this adventurer’s paradise. Ravens Bluff is sweetersmelling than the tannery-scented Calaunt and less
structured than Tantras, with its rigid economic
social and political class arrangements. As a result,
most immigrants choose to settle here.
The city provides an ideal place for all manner of
urban and dungeon adventures. Its cellars, sewers,
natural caverns, and multiple entry points to the
Underdark offer much in the way of belowground
exploration.
6/18/08 8:08:47 AM
VILHON WILDS
VILHON WILDS
The Vilhon Wilds is a frontier unclaimed by any state,
containing the wreckage of cities devastated by the
Spellplague, separated by rough open country and
plaguelands. It includes the partially drained estuary
of Vilhon Reach and the strip of land formerly called
Chondath on the edge of the Chondalwood. The notorious Plaguewrought Land lies close by, which means
the entire region is unsafe at best.
Vilhon Wilds Lore
History DC 10: Since the devastation of the Spellplague, civilization has been slow to return to the
region. It quickly earned a reputation for being wild
and lawless, which has become self-fulfilling.
Streetwise DC 10: The Vilhon Wilds is one of the
last great frontiers of Faerûn. The ruins here attract
attention, but the risks are great. Only the hardiest
explorers who venture in make it back. The richest
sites lie within or along the edge of the Plaguewrought Land where the Blue Fire is still active.
Settlements and
Features
The most noteworthy feature of the region is the
Plaguewrought Land.
mages, alchemists, mystics, and adventurers seeking
to explore nearby ruins. No other state or authority
claims Ormpetarr. The Order of Blue Fire maintains
its most prominent edifice, the Changing House, in
the town. Its agents, important to local governance,
help maintain order where the only other law is a
rough brand of frontier justice.
A popular place in Ormpetarr among would-be
scar pilgrims is an inn called Finara’s. The inn offers
reasonable rates for clean rooms above a large tavern
to anyone on a scar pilgrimage. The elderly owner
Finara) was also a pilgrim, but the one time she
approached the Plaguewrought Land, the horror of
it forced her to flee. With her advanced age, it seems
unlikely she will return. She does point people to the
services offered by the Order of Blue Fire, of which
she is a fringe member.
Plaguewrought Land
Permanent Plagueland
The Spellplague is still active in this territory, contorting terrain, natural law, and the flesh of any
creature that dares enter. The surreal landscape is
breathtaking in its beauty, grandeur, and changeability. Earthmotes aplenty break up the sky in a strange
parity with the fractured terrain below. Swaths of
moving earth change with mercurial speed, and
great ravines empty directly into the Underdark.
Spellscarred individuals and scar pilgrims sometimes journey here because it’s the most prominent
plagueland in Faerûn, as well as a great hold of the
Order of Blue Fire. The stability of the plagueland’s
border provides an environment where the clever,
ambitious, or insane can experiment with the Spellplague and its effects.
Ormpetarr
City of the Scar; Population 4,000
This is a city of merchants and road agents who
prey on, or, as they prefer to say, cater to pilgrims,
SCAR PILGRIMAGE
The Plaguewrought Land is now part of the landscape,
and natives have adapted. Some humanoids have tailored
their coming-of-age ceremonies to include a venture to
the edge of the plagueland. Mystics travel here to seek
answers about the universe or about themselves, sometimes coming face to face with a sharn or receiving visions
of the Masters of Absolute Accord. Artists who yearn for
inspiration and experience come to shape their masterpieces. Shamans seek guidance, saying the land talks to
them. Mages conduct experiments in hopes of learning
arcane secrets. The Order of Blue Fire facilitates all this
through its public works branch. See “Order of Blue Fire”
on page 264 for more information.
The group also helps creatures that wish to brave the
mortal dangers of the Plaguewrought Land in hopes of
gaining a spellscar. In Ormpetarr, those who attempt such
a feat are said to be on a scar pilgrimage. As with most
who brave plaguelands, few pilgrims who enter are ever
seen again, but those who do return sometimes claim
newfound power.
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6/18/08 8:08:48 AM
WATERDEEP
Introductions are always the first and best way to get to
know people and places. And, of course, one’s introduction
to Waterdeep colors how one sees the City of Splendors
forevermore. For me, Waterdeep and her vistas will always
be dominated by Mount Waterdeep and a fond memory of
an alighting griffon silhouetted against the reddened skies
of the setting sun.
—Open Lord Piergeiron Paladinson
Year of the Shield (1367 DR)
The City of Splendors remains what it has been for
centuries: a bustling, crowded, busy mercantile crossroads where coin is king, tolerance for outlanders of
other races and habits is high (as long as they trade
fairly), and folk play hard and work even harder, their
lives proceeding at the fastest pace possible. Gossip
is the grease that helps the daily lives of most Waterdhavians along in their endless striving to make ever
more money. Wealth brings respect, respect earns
influence, and influence is power.
Waterdeep today is a bustling center of commerce filled with around-the-clock stinks and noises,
rumbling wagons south of Castle Waterdeep, and
walled splendor to the north of the castle. The city is
often swept by fads and fashions, and is dominated
GUILDS AND MERCHANTS
Economic activity in Waterdeep has been dominated by
the city’s guilds for more than two centuries. Their management and skilled control of commerce have brought
Waterdeep to its current prominence as the premier
center for trade on the Sword Coast.
Some killings of Open Lords in the last century, however, were done at the behest of guilds, and Waterdeep
hasn’t forgotten that. There’s now widespread mistrust of
guilds among the citizenry, who hold the view that they
are little better than criminal gangs. As a result, the guilds
are far more secretive and keep a low profile, no longer
publicly engaging in politics.
At present, the City of Splendors officially recognizes
forty-seven guilds. None are socially prominent, but four
still wield behind-the-scenes influence in the city because
of their firm, forceful, and charismatic guildmasters. They
include the Cellarers’ & Plumbers’ Guild; the Carpenters’,
Roofers’, & Plaisterers’ Guild; the Fellowship of Carters &
Coachmen; and the Guild of Watermen.
In a city as large as Waterdeep, almost anything is
available for sale, and almost anything can be sold. Trade
in Waterdeep runs the gamut from finished goods and
edible treats to special services and illegal items. Most
commerce in illicit goods and services (such as assassinations, drugs, poisons, slaves, or evil magic items) occurs in
Downshadow.
194
by wealth, trading, and constant chatter about the
latest news of events everywhere in the world (as well
as rumors planted so as to sway public opinion and
investment).
Waterdeep Lore
History DC 10: The Year of the Silent Death
(1395 DR) saw the Putrescent Anathema unleashed
from Stump Bog northeast of the city to spread
sickness and pestilence throughout the region. The
temple-farm of Goldenfields was hit particularly
STREETS OF WATERDEEP
Street plans and even building footprints of Waterdeep
remain almost identical with those of a century ago. To
prevent ambitious wealthy North Ward folk and cutthroat
merchants in South Ward from “overbuilding” the adjacent edifices of rivals, the Lords of Waterdeep enacted
strict limits on building changes. Buildings are still torn
down or fall down and are replaced, but new structures
have to adhere very closely to the outer wall outlines of
those they replace. They are subject to palace oversight as
to height, out-thrusting balconies, and the like. So the old
maps are still pretty accurate—if you ignore the specific
internal layouts of nobles’ villas.
The city gates are customarily opened at dawn and
closed at dusk. The streets are lit at night by trios of city
lamplighters. Wagon traffic is common (except in the Sea
Ward and the North Ward), so pedestrians are encouraged to be watchful and yield to galloping horses and
coaches whizzing about the city.
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W AT E R D E E P
hard by the Plaguebringer’s Blight. The loss of
Waterdeep’s primary supply of grain coupled with
the swift spread of disease devastated the city’s
citizenry, primarily the poor, who died in the
thousands.
Since that time, Goldenfields has recovered
under the leadership of Mother Jamandra Anuvien and expanded greatly. Goldenfields is now
heavily fortified; in effect, it has become a small
walled kingdom. For years, it has been a stable,
peaceful breadbasket to surrounding lands,
friendly to but independent of Waterdeep.
Streetwise DC 15: Waterdhavians are largely
a tolerant and law-abiding people. Visitors to the
city are often surprised to learn that racial tensions are largely absent in the City of Splendors.
This is no more apparent than in the selection of
the city’s quasi-independent Magisters (“Black
Robes”). This quorum of city judges recently
welcomed a tiefling into its ranks with the
appointment of Kylynne Silmerhelve.
City Wards
For the purposes of governance and security,
Waterdeep is divided into a system of wards or
civic districts. Each of the seven official wards is
briefly discussed below.
Castle Ward
Administrative District
Castle Ward lies in the heart of Waterdeep,
wrapping around the eastern slopes of Mount
Waterdeep. This ward is home to the city’s
administrative buildings and buildings of state.
Deliberately putting on a show of force, City Watch
and Guard patrols are heavy in Castle Ward.
The ward’s most prominent landmarks include
Ahghairon’s Tower, Blackstaff Tower, Castle
Waterdeep, the Lords’ Palace, the Market, the
Cynosure, and New Olamn.
Dock Ward
Harbor District
Dock Ward is Waterdeep’s oldest and most colorful ward. The harbor is very much a working
place, full of sweating, cursing dockworkers and
sailors loading and unloading vessels. Carts groan
hastily between warehouses all over the southern
half of the city and Dock Ward, carrying goods to
and from the ships. Dock Ward is also notorious
as a lawless, brawling place of drunks, smugglers,
and fell magic.
Those who are daring or foolish enough to want
to delve beneath the brackish water of the harbor
are advised that the City Guard keeps a close
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watch for smugglers and for items dropped for later
recovery.
Notable landmarks of Dock Ward include Cookhouse Hall, Shippers’ Hall, and the Full Sails tavern,
headquarters of the Most Diligent League of SailMakers & Cordwainers.
Field Ward
Young District
Field Ward is a rather crowded area, newly built over,
between the North Trollwall (the old inner north city
wall) and the outer north city wall (still anchored by
Northgate). It was once the caravan camping fields.
Neither wall has been torn down, leaving Field Ward
fenced off.
This district is home to folk of all walks of life who
lacked coin enough to hire lodgings or own buildings in old Waterdeep, but who first arrived as the
ravages of the Spellplague began. It is a slum in some
places, and a struggling middle-class area in others.
The Ward is a noisy, lively area that’s home to poor
(and a few wealthy) elves, half-bloods of all sorts (and
anyone who has a deformity or visible taint), and
dwarves who are determined to get the respect they
are sure they deserve.
North Ward
Home of the Wealthy
Waterdeep’s quietest ward is also one of its wealthiest. North Ward is home to most of the middle class
and lesser noble families. This ward has few notable
landmarks other than the Cliffwatch, and it all but
shuts down at dusk. This placid reputation belies the
intrigue and scheming that goes on behind closed
doors, and the volumes of smuggled goods that lie in
cellars beneath the city streets.
The only widely known landmark of North Ward
is the Gentle Mermaid, whose fame as a gambling
hall has spread up and down the Sword Coast.
Sea Ward
Noble District
Waterdeep’s most affluent ward is notable for the
many-spired, grand homes of the nobility, the gleaming edifices of the city’s leading temples, and the
imposing towers of its premier wizards.
Lashed by sea storms, Sea Ward was traditionally
deserted in the winter; the nobles preferred to weather
the cold months in estates farther south. This practice
has been largely abandoned over the last century, however, as strife erupted across the Sword Coast.
Notable landmarks of Sea Ward include the Field
of Triumph, the lush Heroes’ Garden, and the Sea’s
Edge Beach. Waterdeep’s largest temple, the House of
Heroes dedicated to Tempus, stands just north of the
Field of Triumph.
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South Ward
Working-Class District
South Ward lies in the southeastern corner of
Waterdeep, bounded by Trades Ward to the north
and Dock Ward to the west. Caravan City, as this
oft-forgotten ward is sometimes known, is a homely,
friendly, busy, and largely poor area of Waterdeep.
South Ward is dominated by large, tall, old warehouses made of stone, mud brick, or timber. Crowded
among them are three- and four-floor tenements,
most with shops at street level.
Notable landmarks of South Ward include
Caravan Court, Waymoot, and Metalmasters’ Hall,
headquarters of the Most Careful Order of Skilled
Smiths & Metalforgers.
Trades Ward
Center of Commerce
Trades Ward lies in the eastern half of Waterdeep,
encircling the western and southern walls of the City
of the Dead. Given over almost entirely to commerce,
Trades Ward lacks the feeling of community found in
the more residential wards, but retains the hustle and
bustle of a marketplace throughout the day and night.
Notable landmarks of Trades Ward include the
Court of the White Bull and Virgin’s Square. The
towering Plinth stands no longer, having collapsed
during the chaos of the Spellplague.
WATERDEEP’S NOBILITY
Waterdhavian nobles who survived the Spellplague often
found themselves impoverished, having all at one stroke
lost their property; all knowledge of their foreign holdings, cached wealth, and current dealings; and competent
leadership. Desperate to feed themselves, many noble
families sold their titles to wealthy merchants, while
others intermarried to join forces. This latter practice,
combined with opportunistic score-settling vendettas and
the hiring of assassins, resulted in a great winnowing of
the noble ranks.
Seventy-odd noble families still exist, but some families
have been reduced to a single living individual. Others are
missing or have gone away until things settle down, and
have been absent from the city for years. Many noble families are busily hiring adventuring bands to protect what is
theirs in Waterdeep, seize things taken from them (or that
they see as rightfully theirs), and settle scores with rivals
who did them ill during the chaos of the Spellplague. Lots
of deeds, IOUs, and other documents, as well as actual
coins and gems, are lost in the rubble or simply missing.
Squatters have seized control of many landholdings all
over the Heartlands and the Sword Coast North, and they
must be driven off if the nobles are to retain any shred of
their former wealth.
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W AT E R D E E P
RON LEMEN
Other Neighborhoods
The Mistshore: Over the last century, Deepwater
Harbor has become badly polluted, its waters brown
and stinking. The north shore of the former Naval
Harbor became a beaching ground (and then a scuttling yard) for damaged or age-rotted ships. Over the
years, these hulks piled up one atop another, spreading out from the shore at the foot of Coin Alley for a
long way into the harbor to form the Mistshore. This
area is a permanent slum of sagging, ramshackle
woodwork atop the heap of sunken ships, where the
most disfigured, diseased, spellscarred, and monstrous of Waterdeep’s inhabitants dwell.
The Mistshore is the darkest and wildest neighborhood in Waterdeep, where open violence and
lawlessness is frequent and the Watch patrols seldom
(and then only at double strength or more). Drunken
and beaten-up inhabitants can often be seen sprawled
or draped over the rotting riggings that line the winding “streets.”
Mountainside: Mountainside is the name given
to the new homes and streets that are slowly climbing
Mount Waterdeep, in particular its north and northeast faces. A street known as the Rise climbs north
out of Fetlock Court and switchbacks as it ascends
the mountain. The Rise is lined by tall, narrow, manybalconied houses that typically have four or five
floors. Because it costs so much to build on the windswept rock of the mountain, only wealthy folk build
their stylish houses here, which is one of the reasons
Mountainside hasn’t grown faster.
Events stemming from the Spellplague left a statue
lying on its side on Mount Waterdeep, alongside the
first doubling back of the Ride. A row of five luxurious stone manors, complete with balconies and
hanging gardens (locally known as Downgiant Row),
were built up out of the statue.
Undercliff: Undercliff is by far the largest and
most open new part of Waterdeep. It sprawls over
the meadows east of the plateau occupied by the old
city, under the cliff that still forms its eastern edge.
Undercliff is large, rather lawless, and still growing;
it’s home to every sort of new arrival (for the last fifty
years or so). Undercliff is the most fluid neighborhood of Waterdeep, where people move frequently,
shanties often collapse or are torn down or torched,
and change rules.
Increasingly, dwarves dwelling in Field Ward who
have made enough coin are seeking to buy houses in
Mountainside, and on the cliff face above Undercliff,
so they can tunnel out larger abodes at will. Their diggings have already breached some sewers and cellars
in the city. Their activities are beginning to attract
CIVIL DEFENSE
Waterdeep’s armed forces traditionally included the City
Watch, which played the role of police force; the City
Guard, which defended the city from external land-based
threats; the City Navy, which guarded against sea-based
threats; and the Griffon Cavalry, which patrolled the skies
above Waterdeep.
Today, Waterdeep’s navy has been scuttled, and the
city relies on warships from Mintarn for defense. The
Guard is now part of the Watch, serving as a permanent
bodyguard for the Open Lord and the Palace. The famed
Griffon Cavalry was dissolved years ago after the griffons
perished in various battles and were never replaced.
Aside from sharing facilities and personnel with the
Guard, the City Watch of Waterdeep is much as it was
a century ago. Watch patrols pass along main streets
once between bells, varying their routes often. It’s rare
for a patrol to have fewer than eight Watchmen. All
Watch patrols are armed and carry horns to summon
reinforcements.
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the attention of the Masked Lords, who are now sending down hired adventurers to patrol the uppermost
levels of Undermountain to stop the illicit delvings.
The Warrens: This district underlies a portion of
northern Dock Ward and a large part of Castle Ward.
It consists of 5-foot-ceilinged rooms and suites opening off a few winding street tunnels. Home to many
gnomes and halflings, the area is seeing an increasing number of dwarves (though any who can’t get
along with gnomes and halflings are firmly expelled).
The district is in the process of expanding to the east,
under the City of the Dead, to come out on the face of
the cliff and into buildings there. Several of the new
tunnels leading east from the present area of the district have collapsed and fallen down into Undercliff
as a result, though none have done so recently.
These new tunnels of the Warrens have disturbed
some of the oldest burial sites in the City of the Dead.
Despite the diggers taking care to return a breached
tomb to its former state, some say the tunnels have
become haunted. Indeed, many report eerie whispered words, apparitions, and noncorporeal images
of all sorts. At first this was assumed to be the talk of
“uppity gnomes” until such images began manifesting
to several creatures at once. Most such encounters are
merely frightening or spooky rather than physically
dangerous. Then again, persistent rumors speak of
halflings, gnomes, and even dwarves losing time,
sometimes just hours, but other times whole days.
According to one old gnome, the disturbed spirits
are possessing the memory-challenged victims, and
goading them into actions intended to avenge longago slights or accomplished long-unfinished business.
While this assertion seems like the height of hysterical hand-waving to the majority, a few halfling
traders have started to walk the Warrens alone, seeking just such apparitions, hoping to question them
in order to learn the misdeeds, secrets, and past peccadilloes of eminent Waterdhavian families, to see if
this can be turned to some advantage.
TIMEHANDS
Waterdeep enjoys an often-noted golemwork clock called
the Timehands. Timehands is installed in the tallest tower
of the Lords’ Palace. It possesses three continually turning
dials, facing north, east, and south. The clock was built by
several guilds of Waterdeep, working—and squabbling—
together, and was finished in 1445 DR. The clock has bells
that strike the hours, beginning with a “pay heed” chord,
followed by a deep bell tolling the hours by number.
Timehands also sports an hour hand and a smaller hand
that races around the each face denoting minutes. It is a
masterful design, and some wonder if its parts, rumored
to have come from Lantan before that nation’s drowning,
can be replaced if they ever wear out.
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Notable Landmarks
Lords’ Palace: The former Piergeiron’s Palace (a
name it retains only in nostalgic memory and in minstrels’ poetic descriptions) is now the Lords’ Palace,
or the Palace of Waterdeep. Physically, it’s largely
unchanged, being a place of marble floors and high
vaulted ceilings. It’s the seat of local government,
with Magisters holding law court daily in the Lords’
Hall and the Hall of Justice. The Masked Lords meet
often (usually at least once a tenday) in secret conclave and in Open Court. In Open Court, the Open
Lord entertains deputations and debate from outland
envoys and visiting trade delegations (who are housed
in apartments in the Palace), as well as from local
citizenry.
The current Open Lord of Waterdeep, Dagult
“Dagger” Neverember, is a hard-drinking, eloquent,
and impressive lion of a man. Tall, broad-shouldered,
and forceful, he is a master manipulator and looks
the part of a strong ruler; he was chosen to be Open
Lord for this reason. Neverember is one of the richest men in Waterdeep. He prefers straight dealing to
intrigue and genuinely wants to do what’s best for the
city.
Blackstaff Tower: From the outside, Blackstaff
Tower is a simple three-story stone tower surrounded
by a curtain wall. Those who train within, however,
learn that there are at least a dozen more sublevels
reachable only by magic. It is also whispered that
Blackstaff Tower is sentient, a statement never refuted
by the presiding Blackstaff.
The Archmage of Waterdeep and current Mistress
of Blackstaff Tower, Vajra Safhar, is a thin, small,
dusky-skinned Tethyrian. Vajra assumed the role of
Blackstaff earlier this year following the death of her
popular predecessor and lover, Samark. The young
Blackstaff dwells alone in Blackstaff Tower and commands what’s left of the Watchful Order of Magists &
Protectors.
Castle Waterdeep: Waterdeep’s great fortress is a
thick-walled stronghold, with pennants and banners
flown from its many battlements. It frowns down on
Castle Ward from the flanks of Mount Waterdeep.
The castle walls rise 400 feet at their greatest height
from the ground, and are 60 feet thick on average.
Many protective spells have been placed on the
walls over the centuries, and they have never been
breached in battle.
City of the Dead: This walled enclosure on the
eastern edge of Trades Ward is the general cemetery
for the City of Splendors, and its size nearly makes it
a ward in and of itself. Many citizens visit the City of
the Dead’s parklike green lawns and white marble
tombs during the day, for it is one of the few places
dominated by greenery that the citizens of Waterdeep
can share within the city walls. The grounds are offlimits after dusk, and the gates are locked.
6/18/08 8:08:57 AM
Although many young Waterdhavians believe one
must brave the wilds of the Savage Frontier when
seeking monster-infested ruins, in truth, plenty of
dangerous locales can be found much closer to home.
The City of Splendors contains quite a few dungeons,
including the Citadel of the Bloody Hand, the Dungeon of the Crypt, the sewers that run beneath the
city, the chasm known as Umberlee’s Cache, and the
granddaddy of them all, the former playground of the
Mad Mage Halaster, the vast Undermountain.
Waterdeep is also the perfect setting for a campaign based on intrigue. Strife between guilds,
nobles, politicians, religious figures, and outside
power groups can provide an endless font of roleplaying possibilities for players who prefer to focus on
character interaction over dungeon exploration.
Downshadow: The lower sewers and the
uppermost level of Undermountain have become
Waterdeep’s newest neighborhood, inhabited by the
most desperate and yet most capable: broke adventurers. They dwell in its dark chambers, moving
about often, skulking and lurking to avoid monsters
and thefts or attacks by their neighbors. They make
their living by raiding up into the city by night, trading in illicit goods, temporarily “hiding” persons
and stolen items, and delving into Undermountain.
Downshadow folk are both greatly feared and greatly
admired by other Waterdhavians.
In many city wells and waterways of Downshadow
live curious subterranean fish called blindfin that
devour everything organic they find (except bones
and teeth), excreting only sandlike minerals. Blindfin
are poisonous to eat, but they cleanse the waters they
swim in of everything unpleasant and unhealthy to
mammals. They keep drinking water in Waterdeep
pure and palatable and conveniently consume bodies
disposed of in wells by the poor or by murderers.
Pharra’s Alley: This alleyway is a busy shortcut
route used by merchants, and is often crowded with
would-be wizards coming to study at the House of
Wonder (now an arcane college but formerly a temple
to Mystra). The students vanish hurriedly, though,
when the Circle of Skulls appears. These eerie
flameskulls are always seen floating in a circle, arguing among themselves in hollow, echoing voices. They
seem tied to Pharra’s Alley; each one is quick to spit
fire against any who threatens the circle.
Undermountain: This vast and dangerous subterranean labyrinth still underlies Waterdeep. The city
is prevented from collapsing into Undermountain in
part because of the titanic magical wards established
in the dim past; these same forces largely fended off
the Spellplague. The underways still connect with the
wider Underdark, full of adventure and treasure for
those who dare to explore them.
Much has changed in Skullport and Undermountain since the death of Halaster Blackcloak a century
ago. Persistent wild magic seems to drift around the
Underhalls, rather like living spells. It sometimes
recharges magic items taken down into Skullport, or
even alters the abilities and powers of living beings.
As a result, Skullport is much visited but no longer
inhabited; much of its lawlessness has relocated to the
Mistshore and Undercliff.
BIZARRE HAPPENINGS
Waterdeep was spared many of the ravages experienced
by other cities during the Spellplague. However, the event
did introduce several lesser phenomena to the City of
Splendors.
Hundreds of glowing globes (floating, mobile spheres
of continual radiance) now drift freely around Waterdeep.
Although every mage and sage who has studied them
insists the spheres of light aren’t sentient, they behave
uncannily as if they are. They seem to become curious,
and for a random time, follow certain beings who are
moving about the city; they always seem drawn to any
release or casting of magic; and they seem to become
excited, gathering and rushing wildly about, if anyone
tries to move or harness them by magical means.
A few of the fabled Walking Statues of Waterdeep
went wild, striding across the city until they collapsed,
toppled, or got wedged between buildings. Some were
later quarried away into nothingness, but a few remain,
forever frozen.
One invisible local change wrought by the Spellplague
is all too familiar to local spellcasters: Detection and location magic no longer functions. Such spells feature in old
tales but are unknown in life today.
W AT E R D E E P
Mount Waterdeep: The mountain is a bald,
rough crag, topped by a lookout tower. Its seaward
flanks have eleven gigantic triple-catapults for hurling loads of rock and burning material out to sea
against attacking ships. The mountain is pierced by
several sea caves, connected by tunnels of great antiquity now controlled and guarded by the City Guard,
and used by the Lords in secretive operations.
The Sewers: Waterdeep’s sewers and waterways
run beneath much of the city, forming a subterranean
layer between the surface and the depths of Undermountain. The uppermost portions of the sewers are
in fairly good repair, thanks to the efforts of the Cellarers’ & Plumbers’ Guild.
The primary source of fresh water comes from
several subterranean cisterns scattered through the
tunnels under the city. The cisterns are filled by plentiful rain, and supplemented by pumps crafted by
ancient dwarves to tap the extensive network of natural springs found beneath the city.
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Returned Abeir
Long ago, the world was twinned to save it from a
final conflict between gods and primordials. The
gods took one sibling (Toril), and the primordials
claimed the other (Abeir).
Ages later, the Spellplague (which Abeirans call
the Blue Breath of Change) caused the two separate
worlds to collide and overlap. Portions of each world
shifted into the other. Then the worlds separated
again, contact severed, but each having contributed
to the other. Perhaps as much as one-quarter of Toril
now hosts lands native to Abeir.
The two most significant transplanted lands on
the continent of Faerûn are Akanûl and Tymanther.
However, the largest new landmass by far is an entire
continent that Faerûnians call Returned Abeir, which
lies west of the Trackless Sea.
In Returned Abeir, dragons rule vast realms of
slaves. The dragonborn are the most numerous, but
they are given to rebellion. Dwarves and humans are
plentiful. Genasi were also numerous, but mostly on
the eastern continent of Shyr (a continent that was not
transported to Toril by the Blue Breath of Change).
Other races are less numerous, and fey such as elves
and eladrin are rare curiosities introduced only in
the last century. Organized religion in Returned
Abeir (faiths, simple shrines, and traveling clergy) is
something new; even the concept of gods who answer
prayers is still alien to many, though some deities of
Toril have set their sights on the returned lands.
Abeir’s Past
The true history of the long unfolding of events
in Abeir is hidden from most mortals alive today,
though they hold many conflicting beliefs about the
past. Among humans, only a handful of priests and
sages know anything more than what follows (which
is considered true by most Abeirans).
Of old, the Dawn Titans (the primordials) fought
the Estelar (gods) and were humbled. Great was the
slaughter among the Dawn Titans, but they retained
Abeir for their own. Seared and ravaged by the divine
fires of their foes, the few who survived were tired
from strife. Sensing this, their steeds the dragons
turned on and rose against the Dawn Titans, slaying
more, until nearly all who yet endured retreated into
the very stones of the mountains and fell silent.
The triumphant dragons then made war on each
other and on dragons who remained loyal to the
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Dawn Titans. This event was called the War of Fang
and Talon, in which dragons recklessly unleashed the
abandoned magic of the primordials. Much of Abeir
was laid to waste, and the dragons were in turn left
scarred, few in number, and at long last weary of war.
Then the legendary Gorloun, a dragon of immense
size, might, and age, founded the first dragon empire.
Rival draconic realms sprang up thereafter, and the
long Rule of Dragons began.
Dragons quarreled, empires rose, expanded, and
decayed, or were wrested from the talons of their
dying emperors, but draconic rule survived nearly
unchallenged until the Blue Breath of Change
unearthed small quantities of dragonbane amber,
enough to shatter the Rule of Dragons. Now, whole
lands of Returned Abeir govern themselves, free of
draconic rule at least for the moment.
Shape of the Land
Returned Abeir is dominated by mighty mountain
ranges on three sides, arcing around a great central
bay, the Dragon Sea.
Returned Abeir’s north coast is made up of bleak,
uninhabited sheer cliffs falling into the waves from
the cold, jagged heights of the mountains where
Dawn Titans sleep in icy Fimbrul. South is the mountain land of Relmaur, home to warring dragonborn
and orcs, and forming a natural barrier between the
last two surviving dragon realms: the jungle of Melabrauth to the west, and the vast grasslands of Skelkor
to the east. A mountain range separates Skelkor from
human-held Eskorn and the Sword Lands. The western land of Gontal hunkers behind its mountainous
border and reveals little of itself to outsiders. A land
of mystery to many Abeirans, Gontal’s citizens know
it as a place of raging intrigues.
STEELSKY
In Abeir, the sky’s pleasant blue is long forgotten. Instead,
a metallic-hued vault arches from horizon to horizon.
When violent weather approaches, the steelsky boils
into dark green and copper-hued clouds. Steelsky doesn’t
obscure sunlight, moonlight, or the stars.
The metallic sky is due to arambar, the residual energy
of an ancient primoridial. Arambar was a Dawn Titan
whose power was so vast that even in death, its memory
visibly persists across Returned Abeir.
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THE DUSK PORTS
Abeirans frequently use “Dusk Ports” as a handy collective phrase, but these cities on the western shores
of the central Dragon Sea have never cooperated in
anything. Nonetheless, they all defer to Orlarrakh, an
elder green dragon.
Dusk Ports Lore
successful Streetwise check.
DC 20: The Dusk Ports seem free on the surface
but in truth are in thrall to Orlarrakh, the Green
Duchess. Orlarrakh collects tribute for Melauthaur
the Undying One, ruler of Melabrauth (page 210).
Though each Dusk Port is a fierce rival of all the
others, each also maintains a fortress lair for Orlarrakh for when she is in residence. On each visit, the
ORDER OF THE DAWN
A few cults in Returned Abeir secretly worship the Dawn
Titans, praying for their return in the belief that they will
slay or at least break the power of the dragons and restore
Abeir to a fanciful golden age of freedom. This belief is in
strict contravention of the dragon lords’ edict, so these
cults meet in utmost secrecy. Most have no secret knowledge or rituals, and thus their secret meetings are merely
for show. A few, such as the Order of the Dawn in Mreyelundar, purport to possess relics of the Dawn Titans.
The Order of the Dawn worships a massive skull that
sometimes speaks. Members believe that the skull is from
an ancient primordial killed by the dragon Gorloun. The
skull’s booming words certainly seem impressive enough,
but they are mostly riddles. Some members once alleged
that the Cultmaster, a dragonborn named Rowan Babar, is
behind the talking skull, and that he sought to dupe the
cultists. All those members met untimely ends, and the
newest lot know nothing of this event.
Rowan preaches that before dragons, the continent
was a wilderness roamed by humanoids who lived in
peace with the Dawn Titans. Rowan claims that the
primordials rest in the heart of the deepest caverns in
Returned Abeir’s northern mountains. In their light
slumber, they are aware of what happens in the world
and cognizant of the honor paid them by the Order of
the Dawn. Rowan says that if the worship of the order
is pure and strong enough, the Dawn Titans will emerge
and reclaim the dragons as the steeds they were meant
to be.
If the Green Duchess ever learned what the Order of
the Dawn was up to, she would likely decimate the entire
city of Mreyelundar just to be sure she had stamped out
every last cultist.
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Green Duchess demands an audience with the current lords of each city. Sometimes, new lords must be
chosen when these audiences end.
Dusklan
Dusklan is made up of a hodgepodge of races. Unlike
Tarmalune (page 216), Dusklan is kind to escaped
slaves from other realms and other Dusk Ports (for
anyone might be chosen at random to be fed to the
elder green terror). Dusklan is even home to some
orcs, who dwell in Downport, a neighborhood hard
by the docks featuring many brothels and shady
traders. For reasons not readily apparent, Orlarrakh
comes to Dusklan only infrequently and rarely stays
long enough to eat more than a few unlucky citizens.
Dusklan is a far merrier place than other Dusk
Ports. The locals have strong tastes for feasting, dancing, singing, theater, and public pranks. Thefts and
dockside tavern brawls are common, but murder, kidnapping, and arson are almost unknown.
Dusklan is the Abeiran center for counterfeiting
(coins are a local specialty) and false identities for all
who can pay. Escaped slaves are especially fond of
this aspect of the city.
The city is ruled by a Duspranar who dwells in a
grand mansion, issues decrees, and passes sentences
in trade disputes and matters of apprehended lawbreaking. A new Duspranar is chosen after each of
Orlarrakh’s infrequent visits.
Lylorn
The fiercely proud Lylar have always been among the
boldest of Abeiran sailors, traveling far across the seas
in search of new trading destinations (and islands to
plunder). Lylar pirates are a staple of Abeiran folklore,
and the Lylar rival the Sambrese of the Sword Lands
for imagining insults and drawing steel to redress
them. They do not slay weaker or older foes, however,
but carry small belt-whips to punish such offenders.
Lylorn is clearly the largest, wealthiest, and most
dominant of the Dusk Ports. It has gained this status
by sacrificing the largest number of its own citizens
to Orlarrakh’s boundless appetite.
The Lylar favor walled rooftop gardens and interior courtyards in their stone, arch-windowed homes.
Inside their homes are rich tapestries, deep carpets,
costly statuettes, and other luxuries, including all
manner of highly spiced fowl on their dining platters.
Under Orlarrakh, Lylorn is governed by a lord who
is elected by other nobles. The heads of the seventeen
Lylar noble houses all vote, tending to choose elderly,
conservative males. (If Orlarrakh eats an oldster, at
least the victim had a full life before this terrible fate.)
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Mreyelundar
This damp, rotting city has always been known for
wealth, decadence, lawlessness, and illicit practices.
Returned Abeir’s foremost goldsmiths and gemcutters dwell and work here, and gangs dominate life.
Melabrauth gains much tribute from this city—after
Orlarrakh takes her cut.
The jeweler Trusk Rantyne is Gate Lord of the city,
but the gangs fear and obey Narnorn, a mysterious
and legendary sneak-thief who truly rules.
Whereas some of free people of the Sword Lands
are fascinated by dragons and hunger for their might,
those of the Dusk Ports know firsthand that dragons
are not worthy of study or worship. In desperation,
some secretly turn to worship of the vanished Dawn
Titans. The Order of the Dawn, recently founded, is
rapidly becoming a real force behind Mreyelundar’s
closed doors.
THE DUSK PORTS
ruled by a hereditary high lord. Currently this office
is held by a calm, well-liked woman named Dauna
Lorastur. Her three young sons fear for their mother,
who grows more and more defiant of the Green
Duchess.
Tarsith
The fabulously rich Nandrel Gostur and Zasheena
Drethyl head the Shadowkiss, a drug- and poisonvending gang active all around the Dragon Sea.
Zasheena loves adventurers, avidly following news
of their exploits, hiring them often, and even seducing them when she thinks doing so is safe enough.
She schemes to use her drugs to one day control
Orlarrakh.
Marrauk
The hills around Marrauk are bleak and bare of vegetation, so it has long been known as the City of Dust
for the windblown grit (called blowscree) that scours
its massive stone buildings and kills all greenery. Five
high valleys just inland are filled with deep deposits
of very fine, pure salt, which Marrauk now ships to all
of Returned Abeir and much of western Faerûn.
Local garb features dark, hooded cloaks to shield
against the blowscree, making everyone look alike
out of doors. The Marraukyl are guarded, terse folk,
Settled around the mouth of the River Esmur, where
fish, eels, and sand clams have always been abundant, Tarsith is Returned Abeir’s busiest fishing
center. Every day, hundreds of citizens row or sail
out into the little bay flushed by the Esmur to haul
in nets full of glittering catches. Most of the eels and
clams are eaten locally, but rock crabs are rolled in
river clay and baked hard into balls that will keep for
travel, and fish are split and dried. These foodstuffs
have become Tarsith’s major exports, outpacing its
traditional boast: the finest ropes and sails in all
the land. Tarsith’s weavers make the best looms in
Returned Abeir, but they are not for sale (and from
time to time are stolen in daring raids on behalf of
weavers in other cities).
Tarsith is governed by the Tarandar, who wields
a magic cane and takes his orders from Orlarrakh.
It is a mostly calm city that sometimes explodes into
unexpected terror when the Green Duchess brings a
fellow dragon down from Melabrauth for contests of
who can eat the most.
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ESKORN
This onetime dragon realm is now a human land.
(“Eskorn” is a shortening of Eskornamundyr, the
name of its deposed draconic ruler.) Widely seen
elsewhere in Returned Abeir as a backward, wilderness realm in name only, Eskorn is lightly ruled. The
king moves his court from castle to castle, keeping
order with his swift-riding knights. The king’s law
often extends only as far as the points of the knights’
swords.
Except at market-moots (located where roads
meet, or a trail crosses a navigable river), outlanders
and nonhumans are rare sights, even though dragonborn were also once slaves of Eskornamundyr. When
THE STORM RUNE
The Storm Rune is a cabal of a dozen or so wealthy
Stormhar merchants and landlords who meet in secret
and keep their identities hidden from their agents, who
are lower-ranking members. Agents never commit violent
or overtly unlawful deeds; working through spies and
intermediaries to protect its members’ identities from
betrayals, the Rune hires outlander adventurers for such
work on a task-by-task basis.
Nuth Harandal, a wily and calculating poisoner and
merchant of sail, rope, cord, and tent, heads the Storm
Rune. He is assisted by Belaskur Hallowdryn, a haughty
racist and superb actor who deals in fine gowns, lace,
scents, gloves, and hats. When it comes to dark deeds,
Nuth and Belaskur are the most energetic thinkers and
doers in the Rune, and they can always call on the muscle
of the coldly murderous horse trader Mordrar Hammesk
and the cruel wagonmaker Ostral Bardwick.
The Storm Rune isn’t interested in ruling Eskorn, but
its members are very interested in enriching themselves
and gaining more power by manipulating the knights
of Eskorn and by slowly shaping popular beliefs. They
encourage everyone to share their view that merchants
are the people’s true friends because they make everyone
wealthier and more comfortable, whereas the king and
his knights, for all their talk of righteous laws, are really
the oppressors.
Whenever the Rune can goad a knight, or any courtier
or royal agent, into acting or speaking in a harsh or highhanded manner, it seeks to do so. Whenever its agents
can make the king’s edicts or the knights seem overly
violent or tyrannical, they try to paint them in that light.
They also take care that no one starts to see merchants
as a unified threat. The cabal works against nonmembers,
using theft, vandalism, and occasional arson, so that Rune
members prosper while other merchants of Eskorn tend
to struggle.
204
the dragon emperor of Eskorn fell, the dragonborn
departed to aid their kind in Skelkor.
Eskorn Lore
History DC 10: Eskorn was delivered from
the talons of the dragons, not just by the heroics of
human slaves everywhere rising in revolt, but thanks
to the specific deeds of adventurers led by the strong
and tough warrior Aunglass Roaryl, from whom the
current line of kings is descended. Since the Deliverance, as this event is called, five human dynasties
have ruled. Four of the dynasties ended violently.
Eskorn is known as the Wild Dragon Realm, not
for its draconic past or any prevalence of wild dragons, but for the Wilddragons, one of its former ruling
families. Most sages believe that the Wilddragons
were exterminated by the usurping Haylraevyn clan,
but legends have always insisted that they live on,
scattered Eskornar ignorant of their own lineages,
who spawn many successful adventurers (and outlaws). One day the Wilddragons will return to the
throne, ushering in a time of greatness for Eskorn.
Some of the eldest and most learned wizards of
Returned Abeir have declared that the legends, not
the sages, are correct.
History DC 15: A few of Eskorn’s ruins still hold
fabulous treasures. Tombs of ancient dragon emperors litter the land, not to mention a single colossal
structure rising miles into the steely sky that is said
to have housed a Dawn Titan that was never defeated
during the Rule of Dragons. However, no one has
ever managed to so much as scratch the stone gates
that seal the mammoth spire.
Streetwise DC 10: Eskorn’s major exports are
lumber, crocks of medicines and forest-plant jams
(notably the tart brown spread known as tharrum),
cured hides, and salted meat. Game includes oxen,
boar, venison, and groundfowl, a term used by the
Eskornar to refer to locally abundant wild turkeys
that can grow as large as human children.
Streetwise DC 15: Ornan, the current king of
Eskorn, is a red-faced, rugged but aging veteran who
has spent many years in the saddle fighting outlaws,
would-be usurpers, and monsters. He is a gruff man
who wants to be just and fair, but he has little time
for those who defy him or anyone who deceives. King
Ornan likes plain talk, honest dealings, and subjects
who are kind to and supportive of each other. Under
his rule, murderers are executed, and thieves are
flogged, their crimes proclaimed widely, and made to
pay back what they took twice over (providing work
service under his knights’ supervision if they have no
other way to do so).
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Much of Eskorn is rolling,
wooded hills, studded with
small steadings shared by
several families. Trails are
frequent, but roads are few
and signposts unknown; it
is easy country to get lost in.
Streams, marshes, and many
tiny ponds abound, shrouded
in mists at dawn and dusk.
Aside from the knights and
the rauren (the king’s spies
and envoys), only peddlers
and hardy drovers know the
routes and landmarks of the
countryside well.
Eskorn is most populous and most heavily
patrolled along the coastal roads that connect the
royal keeps. As one travels east, the land gets wilder
and more perilous; roaming beasts and outlaw bands
are numerous. Eventually inhabitants, trails, and
law all fade away into the Hargleth Forest. Everyone
knows there are ruins in the forest, but few Eskornar know anything accurate about them (except any
ruins near where they dwell).
Stormhelm
Eskorn’s capital is a sprawling, unwalled stone city
rebuilt by humans from the rubble of ancient dwarven buildings that dragons once laired in. It is named
for a legendary human warrior who died gloriously
fighting for freedom from the dragons a century
before the successful human revolt.
Stormhelm has muddy wagon roads flanked by
gravel footpaths, a haphazard layout, and many trees
and undeveloped areas rather than dense, crowded
blocks of buildings. Its largest building is a barnlike
stone fortress called the Throne Hall, home of King
Ornan Roaryl. When traveling, Ornan leaves his lord
herald, the kindly but doddering Mreskan Haundle,
seated before the throne to hear subjects’ pleas and
ROYAL KEEPS
The royal keeps of Eskorn are little more than single,
moated stone towers surrounded by villages. Despite
the name, each is really only a haven for sellers of small
and valuable items, moneylenders, and wealthy folk who
want to live in safety. Many are populous enough to have a
“high society” that is small, jealous of “those highchins” in
Stormhelm, and desperately eager to learn and emulate
that same highchin fashion.
E S KO R N
Settlements
and Features
complaints. The king and his herald communicate
often by means of an Eskornan state treasure, the
Seeing Stones.
King Ornan has buried three wives but has three
grown children. Crown Prince Imrar Roaryl is a hotheaded, proud, and capable warrior who sneers at his
younger brother. Prince Flandarr Roaryl hates Imrar
and schemes to become king with the backing of a
loose cabal of greedy Eskornan traders and many of
the king’s longtime, trusted spies. Most of the realm’s
increasingly restless nobles, however, back Princess
Dlorna Roaryl, Ornan’s intelligent, just, and diplomatic youngest child.
The knightly families of Calath, Hornlar, and
Sardron are secretly opposed to any Roaryl ascending
to the throne when Ornan dies. The King’s longtime
rival, the shrewd and sophisticated Amaunthur
Sardron, wants his glib, superb actor of a son, Arangur, to be king, and is willing to hire anyone or enter
into any alliance to achieve this. Dlarryn Calath
doesn’t care who is king, as long as the real ruler is
himself, and he seeks a hold over every knight of
consequence (often through intimidation or threat of
blackmail).
Most Eskornar have some affection for their king
and believe that threats to his rule are the work
of sinister outlanders or overly ambitious knights.
In Stormhelm, however, daily life is dominated
by intense interest in the ever-changing intrigues,
inf luence, and relative social standing of all courtiers and knights. Stormhelm has no guilds but long
ago developed a counter to the cruelties of some
of the more high-handed knights: the mysterious
Storm Rune.
Stormhelm is home to the wealthiest Eskornar
families. The knightly families keep walled mansions
in the city. Fashion, gossip, gaming (such as daggertossing and various card games), and hobbies all
across the Wild Dragon Realm are all determined by
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what’s ruling the parlors in Stormhelm. Stormhelm is
the only place in Eskorn whose dwellings have ornate
entry halls and adjacent parlors, which are lavishly
furnished and used only for entertaining guests.
Ironhar
Royal Keep
Ironhar is the largest of the royal keeps. Several wealthy collectors dwell here and often hire
adventurers to serve as their grasping hands in the
backlands.
The patron most likely to hire a group of adventurers in Ironhar is Dramar Lornen. She is obsessed
with dreams of the Dawn Titan’s Spire (page 207)
and has concocted a many-pronged plan to gain
entry. It is said that many do her bidding in Eskorn
and elsewhere, all accomplishing small goals that
eventually will provide Dramar the key she seeks to
enter the Spire.
Mistshaws
Royal Keep
Known for a rich local history of superb singers,
minstrels, and instrument-makers, Mistshaws has
recently become a center of vandalism, arson, and
attacks on royal agents, though no villains have yet
been apprehended. Locals increasingly believe that
certain knightly families are hiring outlander bandits
and ruffians, but no one yet dares proclaim names.
Hunting for sport and food in the Hargleth Forest is
particularly good near Mistshaws, and local hunters
THE EMINENCE OF ARAUNT
A network of portal pathways hidden to all but undead
underlie Nornglast. To a living creature, an arch or door
with three vertical slashes above it leads normally into
a catacomb tunnel or crypt, but to a sentient undead
that knows the significance of the marks, the same passage might well lead to another catacomb or graveyard
somewhere else in Returned Abeir. Called deathways,
these routes are most utilized by a self-organizing group
of undead headquartered in Eskorn that calls itself the
Eminence of Araunt. (See page 252 for more details of
this organization.)
The Eminence of Araunt exists as a network of portal
pathways whose paths form a placeless kingdom of the
dead. The portals penetrate more territory every year, and
indeed, the Eminence believes that every crypt, every royal
tomb, every forgotten corner of the world where undead
shamble to protect the whims of masters long gone is
actually a far-flung, if small, principality of Araunt.
In the catacombs beneath Nornglast, the undead
known as Lod and Meremoth hold court.
206
often hire adventurers as guards when the frequency
of monster or outlaw attacks rises enough to become
a real problem.
The keen-eyed but old Umel Shorntooth of Mistshaws has been seeking a group to guide him, despite
his advanced age, to a ruin that he and long-dead
compatriots explored when they were still young.
Umel has a fragment of an old map and fading memories to guide hirelings to a place called Savanfast, a
place where, as Umel says, “The lights in the earth
sing to you with voices of perfect purity.”
Nornglast
Royal Keep
This smallest and most remote of the three royal
keeps of Eskorn is named for its founding family,
the formerly prominent but now extinct Nornglast
clan. The knightly Nornglasts rose to amass fabulous
wealth, and are reputed to have spent much of their
coin on a family project they would not tell outsiders
about. Many locals talk of the “Nornglast Secret”—
really just a way of saying that the Nornglasts are
different, but no one knows how.
One fact seems clear: Nornglast seems particularly
haunted by spirits from its past, spirits that some say
still pursue their aims in life, sometimes reaching
far beyond Eskorn to accomplish these ends. As an
Eskornar saying puts it, “Nornglast is ruled by ghosts.”
In truth, the Eminence of Araunt has staked out the
catacombs below the keep as one of its central principalities. See page 252 for more on the Eminence of
Araunt.
Rondeval
Market-Moot
The largest market-moot of Eskorn bears the name
of a legendary, long-dead stage performer known
for his wit, charm, and womanizing ways. Rondeval
built a good inn where springs of sweet, pure drinking water arose beside a road junction. Since then a
trading town has developed that lacks all government
except for the inn owners and their hired hands. It is
now the best place to find skilled craftworkers in the
realm.
Rondeval is a place of constant gossip and intrigue,
and where the coinless and get-rich-quick folk gather
to try to wrest fortunes—or just a living—out of anyone
who is willing to hire them. Outlanders can buy a
bewildering assortment of “treasure maps” in Rondeval—or hire skilled artists to create fanciful new ones.
Argul: This long-riven castle was built by dragonborn slaves to be the lair of their draconic master,
a gigantic dragon named Argularragh. The slaves
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a few lost hoards of lesser dragons might be found
there today, as well as dragonborn escapees of Raurokh who have lived all their lives in the hollows of
Durlyndbold.
Oroth: Long known as the Hollow Mountain, this
large but low, collapsed volcanic peak is overgrown
with thick forest. Oroth is hollow no more: The area
teems with monsters of all sorts that keep even the
boldest adventurers at bay. As Eskornar history demonstrates, the knights of the realm won’t venture near
Oroth even if royal heirs are endangered.
The elder black dragon Lhargloroth, formerly a
loyal servant of Melauthaur the Undying One (page
210), fled to Oroth long ago and resides there still.
The dragon continues his crazed experiments without the watchful eye of his master upon him. He
lives comfortably in the caverns deep inside Oroth,
continuing to experiment on living creatures with
powerful magic of his own making, creating horrific
new monsters.
Most of Lhargloroth’s creations are unique, sterile
horrors, but a few successes breed true. Some of the
dragon’s failed experiments (most of which are gibbering beasts) sometimes escape to prowl forested
Oroth, devouring each other and all intruders.
Savanfast: The ancient dwarves of Durlyndbold
had outposts beneath the earth from which they
watched for marauding dragons during the first few
millennia of the Rule of Dragons. One such outpost
was built within the hollow of a natural stone dome.
Cunning windows of magic that did not exist from
the outside were carved in the sides of the natural
formation, allowing the dwarves to see far across the
surface. Every now and again, creatures from the
exterior world accidentally trigger access into Savanfast by circling the hillock in the prescribed manner.
Within are nodes of magic light that sing in warning
whenever intruders come near, as well as tunnels that
lead far beneath the earth, perhaps to Durlyndbold
and other places the dwarves once made. The warren
is also haunted by creatures who found their way in
but were unable to get back out again.
E S KO R N
called that great wyrm Argul, and over centuries,
that became the name of the lair. The castle was torn
apart by rival dragons seeking treasure (and dining
on the dragonborn slaves left behind) after Argularragh disappeared. Most dragons thought the wyrm
perished in a mishap or battle over the sea, plunging
to a watery grave, but others believe that Argularragh learned how to change form and lives in various
guises to this day. Another legend purports that
the great dragon was drawn into a magic item and
remains trapped.
Belprin’s Hold: This small, fire-gutted stone
keep is of forgotten human origin. It bears the name
of a famous outlaw who dwelt in this ruined shell
centuries ago, gathering many outlaws to join him.
Brigands have been scoured out of the keep many
times by various Eskornar kings and knights. The
brigands always seem to return, leaving inevitable
tales of hidden treasure in their wake, all centered
on the ruin. Predatory monsters have begun to prowl
the vicinity, seeking to dine on the next outlaws or
treasure-seekers to visit Belprin’s Hold.
Dawn Titan’s Spire: This monolithic structure
rises two miles into the sky, like a slender, milk-white
fang. It is constructed of what appears to be marble,
though it is actually harder than iron. Whether of
a unique substance naturally too hard to mar, or
magically bolstered marble, no would-be explorer
has ever been able to determine. Most believe that a
Dawn Titan resides within the massive fortress, one
of the primordials of ancient days that the dragons
were unable to defeat but that retired from the world
all the same. Other such structures are rumored to
exist, such as the county-sized citadel of burning ice
that brooded over the savage continent of Shyr to the
east, before the Blue Breath of Change altered the
world forever and Shyr faded to obscurity. What has
become of Shyr and is primordial despot Karshimis is
unknown and perhaps unknowable.
Firetrees: The scorched, tumbled stones of this
collapsed, once-impressive fortress lie in a “scar” of
burned tree trunks and fire-blackened rocks where
no new plants will grow. In darkness, eerie glows
drift about the stones, and magic that changes the
senses, abilities, and shapes of living creatures is
rumored to be very active there.
Firetrees was once the site of the fortified dragonborn prison of Raurokh, named for the dragon who
ruled it. Raurokhymdhar kept and bred dragonborn
here. Beneath Raurokh are still deeper hollows: a
long-abandoned dwarven city named Durlyndbold.
The city was emptied of its builders an age ago by a
sentient magic that rotted flesh. Faced with death
if they stayed, the dwarves scattered to many small
cavern homes across Abeir. Monsters, fell magic,
the sentient plague that drove off the dwarves, and
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FIMBRUL
Fimbrul, the Land of the Giants, is a cold, trackless, and seemingly endless region of mountains. It
is dominated by soaring, snow-clad peaks, howling
blizzards, deep chasms, and narrow, hidden valleys.
Below its mighty peaks are lengthy cavern networks
with meltwater rivers and lakes where most living
things in Fimbrul dwell.
The land is so vast and mazelike that nearly anything could hide there, even Dawn Titans. When
storm-driven snow doesn’t sting the eye, clouds pour
across the ground, cloaking everything in a damp,
clinging fog that blocks all vision and weirdly distorts
sounds.
Fimbrul’s hidden high valleys are full of boar and
elk. Its rocks hold the richest known veins of raw
metal ores and gemstones in all the world, accessible
by thousands of unmapped, unnamed caverns.
Fimbrul Lore
Settlements and
Features
Among its endless Howling Mountains, Fimbrul is
known for a few landmark peaks, and some communities hidden in its snowy, stormswept interior.
Darrawn
In a cluster of great caverns deep under three
towering peaks known as the Thunderfangs lies Darrawn, the capital—and only—city of Fimbrul.
The city is inhabited by earth giants and galeb
duhrs. Structures are not so much built as coaxed
from natural rock, creating cavern wonderscapes of
rock draperies, cunning boxwork walls, silica falls,
glowing crystalline stalactites, and other wonders.
Fimbran giants spend their lives hunting the far
caverns and snowy surface of Fimbrul, especially the
valleys. What they catch, they eat after immersing
it in flesh-softening broth rather than cooking with
fire. The giants wage an endless war against dragons,
rebel galeb duhrs in far caverns, and recently, the oniled orc bands. Until recently, the giants hunted orcs
as food; now they hunt them out of wrath. Fimbran
earth giants also make a powerful alcoholic drink,
gulluk, from fermented cooking broth flavored by
much use.
Blackhold
Trademoot Cavern; Population 800
Blackhold is an island of warmth and comfort
for humanoids in the harsh land of Fimbrul. Its
History DC 15: A handful of oni appeared in
Fimbrul just ten years ago. They began gathering
the scattered, desperately foraging surface orcs into
formidable war bands, each consisting of two dozen
disciplined raiders. The oni and their forces hunt
mountain goats when their raids to the south fail.
They rarely venture into the tunnels below the icescoured highlands.
History DC 30: Primordials dream in Fimbrul, self-entombed in solid rock and only vaguely
aware of happenings around them. Certain deeds or
unleashed magic have awakened them in the past
and caused them to take a hand in events—but legends only hint at just what these triggers were, and if
they might work again in the future.
Streetwise DC 10: What other Abeirans would
term “winter” lasts all year across Fimbrul. During
winter across the rest of Returned Abeir, Fimbrul
experiences shrieking ice storms that prevent flight—
even by dragons. These storms turn overland travel
into a series of bone-breaking falls. High summer
brings a two-month-long “season of fogs” that is mild
enough to allow minimal life to return to the stunted
trees that grow, leafless and with strangely reaching
branches, in the high mountain valleys. In the caverns below, there are no seasons.
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Forgefires
Dwarf Cavern Stronghold; Population 400
No one who is not a dwarf is allowed near this heavily guarded string of caverns. Its dwarves purposely
keep the tunnels that lead to it too small for giants or
dragons to negotiate. Even unfamliar dwarves who
approach Forgefires are treated with suspicion. Tales
warn that the stronghold has hundreds of hidden
tunnels and doors, with armed and armored dwarves
ready behind most of them.
In the deepest cellars of the dwelling-caverns in
Forgefires are volcanic rifts where dwarves forge
all manner of tools, coins, weapons, and armor. The
rifts make Forgefires a warm, wet place; condensed
water is collected and used for washing, dyeing, and
cooking.
Court of Rorn: In the deepest caverns of Fimbrul
is the sleeping court of a Dawn Titan called Blazing
Rorn the Fury. (See “The Court of Rorn” on page 242
for more information.) Some whisper that Rorn and
his court are rousing toward full wakefulness after
millennia of silence and slumber.
Dragonbones: This long and reputedly bottomless chasm is where dragons fly when they feel
death is near. Tales say that they crash down into it,
perish, and so mingle their bones with those of their
ancestors, kin, and even rivals. When a dragon dies
elsewhere, an Abeiran carries one of its scales or
bones to Dragonbones, casting it down into the gulf
for luck. No spellcaster has yet succeeded in drawing
upon the restless magical energy that roils in the gulf.
FIMBRUL
population rises and falls
as traders and adventurers arrive and depart, all
treating it as a neutral meeting ground; it is the only
haven for leagues where
one can rest, trade, and
recover. Blackhold is seldom
assaulted by orcs, dragons, or
giants, and is thus considered
relatively safe.
Dwarves of the xenophobic Forgefires community
come to Blackhold to meet the wider world that they
won’t allow in their home. Here they trade Forgefiresfashioned coins, weapons, armor, and ironware.
Humans and other adventurers use the Hold for
resupply, rest, and recruitment.
Blackhold’s dwellings are chains of narrow, linked
side chambers, cut by dwarves into the walls of its
main cavern. The main area is dominated by beast
pens, “podium” rocks, a stinking midden, and the
deep Drinkwater Pool.
Glaedorn: Somewhere in the Howling Mountains
are at least six entrances to a single glittering cavern
whose walls are lined with huge gems. Glael Dorn
was the dwarf who first found it long ago. The crystals
are said to be the severed fingers of a Dawn Titan,
fingers that sometimes stir of their own accord.
Rimlost: A high tower rises on Fimbrul’s northern cliffs, a tower around which the storms howl
with special fury. Rimlost is a secret known only to
a very few, for it houses one of the cults in Returned
Abeir that worship the Dawn Titans, in direct violation of the dragons’ edict. The remaining dragons of
Returned Abeir will drop all concerns to hunt down
and exterminate anyone they believe is involved in
such worship, for they have no desire to see their old
masters roused from eons-long sleep on this continent, as happened in lost Shyr.
KEY INHABITANTS
OF BLACKHOLD
Blackhold has no government or ruler, but is home to
some prominent longtime fixtures.
Motherlass Longfingers: An aging, still graceful dancer
and onetime stunning beauty who knows and mothers all
of Blackhold, Iskh “Longfingers” Lammarask has striking
gold eyes under fierce black brows in an age-wrinkled
face. She runs Iskh’s Rest, a bathing and sleeping den
where she serves endless bowls of stew and keeps keys,
small items, and secrets for patrons.
The Blade: Also known as “Old Tusk,” the taciturn,
one-eyed and scarred proprietor of the Crossed Blades
outfitting shop, Bleys “the Blade” Orltusk never cheats
a customer but always gets even with those who cross
him. A thousand colorful tales are told about the dwarf ’s
heritage and evil deeds.
The Cloaked: The only known resident wizard of
Blackhold is always swathed in a hooded black cloak
and robes, under which he or she wears a black gauze
head-shroud—and under that, some sort of personal aura
of magical darkness that hides the skin beneath. The
Cloaked performs rituals for a fee but never goes adventuring or leaves Blackhold for any reason.
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6/18/08 8:09:13 AM
MELABRAUTH
Oldest of the surviving dragon empires of Returned
Abeir, Melabrauth is a vast, wild jungle. Roamed by
savage monsters, the jungle echoes with roars, alarm
calls, and death-shrieks day and night. Ruined stone
piers slump into the seas in natural harbors along its
coast. Tales speak of lost, overgrown ruins deep in the
jungle. These edifices are the only sign that dragonborn or other humanoids ever lived in the region, for
none now do. It is a land of dragons and monsters.
Melabrauth is ruled by Melauthaur the Undying
One, an ageless, gigantic black dragon.
Melabrauth Lore
History DC 15: When the Blue Breath of Change
came, the Undying One’s empire nearly fell to its
dragonborn slaves who rose in rebellion. Melauthaur
did nothing to prevent lesser dragons who served him
from being slaughtered by dragonborn who wielded
dragonbane amber. When the rebellion was put
down, the Undying One allowed the jungle to overrun his lands, and he took no new humanoid slaves.
Streetwise DC 30: Melauthaur is actually a runescribed dracolich who continues to strengthen his
undead powers. Sometimes he sends his dragon subjects to distant parts of Returned Abeir, apparently
looking for clues regarding a relic that was lost during
the war between the Estelar and the Dawn Titans in
ancient days. Called The Shadow of Ao, the relic is said
to have the power to twin the world anew.
MELABRAUN OVERDRAGONS
Of the thousand-odd dragons who dwell in Melabrauth,
perhaps twenty are powerful enough to be overdragons
who control territories of their own. A few of these overdragons are discussed briefly below.
If any overdragon becomes too ambitious, or plans
actual treachery, Melauthaur always seems to know it
and immediately orders four other overdragons to attack
and slay the traitor. Otherwise, Melauthaur allows them
to pursue their own goals, which often include hunting
humans and dragonborn for sport.
Roroaros: This elder black dragon delights in slaughtering those who defy him but is careful to consult with
Melauthaur often. He rules a coastal territory, and often
has to deal with intruders from the sea.
Naeryndroth: Cunning and a masterful actor, this
adult black dragon has a cache of magic items that grant
a plethora of illusions and deceptions.
Sarakror: An adult green, this sly, fawning hisser of
contradictory orders often sets underlings into conflict.
210
There are no known settlements, roads, or trails in
Melabrauth. Its many rivers are navigable for some
distance inland, but fierce and persistent monster
attacks face every visitor to the Jungle Empire.
No dragonborn serve Melbraun dragons. Menial
duties are given to dragonspawn, young dragons, and
other creatures. No one knows where Melauthaur
dwells, though outsiders suspect that he has several
lairs, most of them in the mountains.
The Fang: This toothlike, monster-infested,
coastal peak is used by sailors for navigation.
River Vypaeryn: The inky, placid waters of Melabrauth’s largest river, and its numerous side swamps,
hide many deadly aquatic predators.
Starspire: This lone peak seems to pierce the very
firmament. There are many tales about its fabulous
treasures and secrets, but the few caves in its flanks
hold only traps and the corpses of fallen invaders.
Djerad Kusold: One of the stone ruins of the
Jungle Empire was a dragonborn slave city that
became a rebel fortress when the Blue Breath of
Change briefly bequeathed Returned Abeir with
dragonbane amber. The dragonborn of Melabrauth
managed to slay nearly one-quarter of the Undying
One’s dragons. But the Undying One tapped a store of
Dawn Titan lore, causing the earth to swallow Djerad
Kusold, all its dragonborn defenders, and its yellow
crystal. The place is now referred to as the Swallowed
City. Many dragonborn die every year looking for it.
6/18/08 8:09:15 AM
ERIC DESCHAMPS
Sometimes called the Barrier Realm, Relmaur lies
between the dragon empires of Melabrauth and
Skelkor. Relmaur is a harsh land of mountains, high
valleys, cliffs, rugged ravines, and waterfalls. It is
warmer and lower-lying than Fimbrul to the north,
and thus is cloaked in thick conifer forests. Wild
herds of elk, sheep, boar, wolves, and more fearsome
beasts roam Relmaur. It is studded with squat, spartan stone towers that seem mostly abandoned. (A
map of Relmaur is included in the map of Fimbrul on
page 209.)
Caves riddle the Relmorn Mountains, home to
goblins, hobgoblins, and two dominant races who
wage endless war on each other: dragonborn and
orcs. The dragonborn have better weapons, wits, and
discipline, whereas the orcs breed quickly and hunt
or fight almost from birth, trumping their foes in
aggression and sheer numbers.
lently reigns through a Crown Council of six Crownswords, two from each clan.
Settlements and
Features
There are no surface settlements or roads across Relmaur. Relmorn dragonborn dwell underground, in
cavern complexes that have many entrances guarded
by elaborately constructed gate-rooms. Ownership
of the labyrinthine Undercaverns of Relmaur sometimes changes hands in the ongoing dragonborn–orc
wars.
Rokthorl
Dragonborn Capital; Population 800
Whichever cavern the High Crown currently inhabits is called Rokthorl, the capital of Relmaur. The
dragonborn try to maintain at least two other cavern
settlements near the eastern and western borders:
Harone Thar and Aranghthal, respectively.
Relmaur Lore
History DC 15: Relmaur, long free of draconic
control, has for centuries welcomed escaped dragonborn slaves of other realms. Though life is hard in
the orc-contested land, it was one of the few places
dragonborn could live free until the Blue Breath of
Change.
Streetwise
DC 15: Dragonborn build and
maintain mountaintop towers as patrol
way stations, and to give
encroaching dragons
something to attack. The
dragonborn dwell in and
under the mountains,
ever vigilant against
marauding orcs and
prospecting dwarves.
Dwarf explorers seek the
rich veins of metals and
rarer but fabulous gem deposits found in the deepest Relmorn
caverns.
Streetwise DC 25: Relmorn
dragonborn are of three main clans:
Belarrak, Garandorn, and Urlingscar. The Urlingscars rule, but the
current High Crown of Relmaur, the
stern Harangor Urlingscar, benevo-
The seemingly endless Undercaverns have several
levels of caves and subterranean lakes. In addition to
orcs and dragonborn, oni and Fimbran galeb duhr
spies roam the dark, as well as voracious snakes.
Poison Sea: One subterranean aquifer beneath Relmaur was home to a
clan of genasi who lived on a crystal
island in the center of the isle. These
genasi, called the Saqr, claimed that
the crystal was the petrified heart
of a slain god. They sought to draw
power from the crystal, hoping to
give one of their own the power of a
god. But something went wrong—the
crystal went dark, and most of the
Saqr were destroyed, though a few were
transformed into hulking crystalline
creatures of undeath.
Shrieking Chasm: Few orcs or
dragonborn venture near the cavern
that holds a formation called the
Shrieking Chasm. The sounds that
emerge from the dark hole in the
cavern’s floor are said to be the
screams of a mad Dawn Titan,
imprisoned far below by its
ancient peers for the crime
of aiding the Estelar.
R EL M AUR
RELMAUR
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6/18/08 8:09:16 AM
SKELKOR
Skelkor is the evil empire of Returned Abeir. It is the
land most feared, hated, and shunned by free people.
Belying the dire reputation of the place, Skelkor’s landscape is largely open, rolling plains of lush
grass roamed by various herd beasts. Some herds
are tended by dull-eyed dragonborn, human, and
halfling slaves; other beasts forage wild (such as
scathebeasts; see page 272). Ribbonlike forests run
along rivers and encircle small, rare marshes. Yet the
air above is rarely clear of dragons hunting for their
next meal; sometimes a squealing herd beast, and
other times a dragonborn shepherd.
Skelkor is ruled by Gauwervyndhal (Gauwer for
short), the Empress Dragon, from her impressive
mountainlike fortress Marangor. Gauwer spawns
clutch after clutch of wyrmlings whose lives are short
and brutal—only the strongest of each clutch survives to adulthood. The Empress Dragon is served by
dragonborn slaves and by dragons directly related to
Gauwer that survived the horrific winnowing process
to become adults. These suzerains, as they are called,
dwell in great stone halls in the fortified slave towns
that ring the realm.
Skelkor Lore
History DC 10: Most creatures in Returned Abeir
know that in the wake of the Blue Breath of Change,
the earth was rent and split. Afterward, amber crystals were discovered across the land, whose mere
presence weakened dragons nigh unto death. These
amber crystals were most prolific in Skelkor, though
they were also found in lesser quantities in other
lands. Dubbed “dragonbane amber,” the substance
DRAGON DREAMING
The Empress Dragon commands that a small percentage
of her suzerains pursue forgotten snippets of lore in the
dreams granted by arambar (page 200). She performs a
secret ritual on these suzerains prior to their dreaming
that grants them especially deep congress with ambient
energy of the long-dead Dawn Titan. Sometimes these
dragons wake with knowledge of current or past events
useful to Gauwer. Most of the time, they learn nothing.
On rare occasions, one of these ritual-prepared dragons
fails to wake. Such dragons fade to wraithlike, incorporeal
glowing white spirits called rathrea. (The dragonborn call
them ghost dragons.) The Empress Dragon prizes rathrea
greatly, for each is able to prophesy the future in a limited
area and span but never for long. Within weeks at most,
most rathrea “ascend” (fade away).
212
was seized upon by the slave races. Many dragons
were killed then, and some ancient empires tumbled.
The Empress Dragon survived only by fleeing her
own land with a ragged guard of suzerains.
History DC 20: Fortunately for the dragons of
Returned Abeir, dragonbane amber is limited in
quantity. Once used, a crystal crumbles into useless dust. Over the decades, every known store of
dragonbane amber was used up. The heady days of
great rebellions are over. Nowadays, tiny bits of dragonbane amber are sometimes still discovered in old
ruins, but rarely in a large enough quantity to harm
even a single dragon, let alone bring down a draconic
empire.
History DC 25: Centuries before the appearance
of dragonbane amber, a particularly able clan of dragonborn slaves rebelled and managed to hold an entire
outlying province of Skelkor for itself for nearly two
centuries. The rebels named this province Tymanchebar, and lived free, though they were constantly
threatened by flights of dragons. Then the Blue
Breath of Change shook the land. When the skies
returned to their silver hue, all saw that the heart of
Tymanchebar, Djerad Thymar, was gone. Though
the remaining free dragonborn fought to retain their
autonomy, their spirit was broken. Even armed with
dragonbane amber, they failed to topple the Empress
Dragon’s rule.
Streetwise DC 15: Recently, the Empress Dragon
empowered a handful of human and dragonborn
slaves as envoys to the free lands of Returned Abeir.
These are led by Hael Darandar, a tall, polite diplomat who has the reputation of being able to charm
the scales from a snake. Darandar’s envoys apparently seek to set up trade with the free lands. They
offer to exchange slave-grown food and slave-made
items for goods produced elsewhere. Few trust
Darandar or his envoys, thinking they are merely
spies for Skelkor, and the first part of a devious and
deep plot of the Empress Dragon’s evil devising.
6/18/08 8:09:18 AM
S K E L KO R
Settlements and
Features
Rolling plains and slave cities predominate in Skelkor. Few foreign dragons or humanoids seek to enter
the realm of the Empress Dragon. Yet stories of undiscovered fields of dragonbane amber regularly draw
the foolish, who find only an untimely death.
Marangor
City of Dragons; Population 7,600
The capital city of Skelkor is an impressive mountainlike fortress of concentric stone walls rising in the
center to provide hundreds of dragons with covered
lairs. It was built and expanded for thousands of years
by dragonborn. The City of Dragons is Gauwervyndhal’s seat of power. It has been often assailed, and was
even taken once by rebellious dragonborn brandishing lances tipped with dragonbane amber. But with
the aid of rathrea prophecy, the Empress Dragon
fled with a strong guard of suzerains, waiting for the
rebellion to burn out its limited resources. Afterward,
she returned in fury, slaying nine out of every ten
slaves, and torturing the rest into broken shells.
Only 800 or so dragons dwell in Marangor, plus
some 400 dragonets (young dragons who have not yet
become suzerains), alongside thousands of dragonborn, humans, and halflings, and a handful of genasi.
Beneath the lairs of the lesser dragons and suzerains lies the Clutch Nursery. This complex of caves
is covered in thousands of years’ worth of eggshell
MARK TEDIN
THE WYRMCROWN
Gauwer wears a magic crown that apparently allows her
to poison any dragon related to her, or even any dragon
whose blood she has tasted. The Wyrmcrown’s range
seems to span the continent of Returned Abeir. Few dragons dare to defy Gauwer, even those unrelated to her. All
live in fear that she has somehow managed to obtain a
sample of their blood and tasted of it.
fragments and the bones of unlucky wyrmlings. It
echoes with the cries of barely more fortunate wyrmlings attempting to stay clear of their older, hungry
siblings. Every few months, the Empress Dragon
descends to the nursery to lay a new clutch of eggs,
and to select one of the older survivors to ascend with
her to serve as an apprentice suzerain.
Below the Clutch Nursery, Marangor’s hidden
hoard vaults are stuffed full of riches gathered during
the Empress Dragon’s evil, lustful rule.
Hollowbold: The ancient dwarven realm of Hollowbold lies under much of what is now Skelkor.
Miles of corridors, forgotten and sealed long ago,
wind through darkness far below the plains where
dragons hunt. They connect to crumbled dwarfholds, mostly empty, though some might indeed
contain ancient wealth unlooted by dragons and their
servitors.
Mount Cormanda: This smoking volcano is home
to a demon lord named called Cormanda, which was
one of the first demons to discover Returned Abeir
in the wake of the Spellplague. However, the demon
is trapped in the volcano: Its lower body was fused
to the stone of an empty lava tube when a pocket of
Spellplague flared up and snared it. A creature of fire
and evil, now plaguechanged and with the power of
lava at its command, Cormanda is yet unable to win
free of its prison, and its hunger for release grows
each year. An empty lava tube in the volcano’s caldera
is the only entrance to where Cormanda rages. If any
being finds it—dragon, humanoid, or other creature—
Cormanda promises almost anything for its freedom.
The demon incinerates with lava those who do not
agree to aid it.
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6/18/08 8:09:19 AM
SWORD LANDS
Humans in Returned Abeir flourish in the small,
verdant lands that lie along the banks of the navigable
Sword River. These counties are sometimes called
“boast realms” because they are small, relatively poor
and lawless, and often die or rise with the lives of individual leaders. The Sword Lands have always lacked a
single ruler—and Swordlanders like it that way.
Humans dwell undisturbed in this great valley of
rolling hill-farms bordered with hedgerows rooted
in stones and stumps cleared from the fields. The
farmland is interrupted frequently by temperate
hardwood stands and small wild forests.
Life in the Sword Lands for common folk is good,
if they can avoid becoming casualties in the latest galloping skirmish between the armed, ambitious, and
mighty. Food and drink is plentiful, the countryside
is pleasant, and there’s no shortage of craftsfolk who
make just about anything required in life. Those who
dislike farming can hunt, trading game for produce.
Prices for everything except the finest tools and
weaponry are low, and gossip is plentiful. Perennial
hot topics are which lord is about to defeat which
other lord, whose heir is about to run off with the
child of a hated rival, and the search for the lost Dragonheir (see below).
Why no dragon has ever claimed the area is the
source of many ballads, wizards’ research projects,
and children’s tales. Whatever the reason, humans
long ago found they could make lives for themselves
there and remain free from enslavement by dragons.
Sword Lands Lore
History DC 15: Stories are important in the
Sword Lands, and a favorite one is of Amra, the
nation that once existed there. Amra had a human
king who successfully stood up to the Empress
Dragon, winning a promise from her that no dragon
would ever attack Amra. That promise remains kept
to this day, even though Amra crumbled hundreds of
years ago at the hands of an assassin. Amra fell upon
itself as each lord claimed the prerogatives of the
former king. War followed, and many grand castles
and keeps were brought low by human hands, not by
dragons. To this day, the ruins of ancient Amra visibly
litter the bucolic countryside.
Streetwise DC 10: Today, the valley of the Sword
Lands is filled by a string of small, warring lands each
ruled by a lord from his castle. The lords feud constantly, but lack coin enough to raise large armies to
overwhelm any foe. When one invades another, the
other lords ally with the invaded one for fear of one
lord rising to supremacy over all.
Scheming and spying are ever-present. Assassination of wizards, lords’ retainers, and lordly heirs and
spouses goes on energetically in feuds that are now so
tangled and deep-rooted that they end only when a
family line is extinguished and a new lord arises.
Flowmud is a rarity found only in small ravines in the
southern and eastern Sword Lands. Short-lived rivers of
warm mud boil to the surface, giving off poisonous gases,
and flow for about the length of a well-shot arrow before
cooling into earth and eventually blowing away in storms.
Inhaling the gases typically causes dizziness, and with
prolonged exposure, even death. Lumps of pure metal
ores are sometimes found in flowmud, so such eruptions
are eagerly sought after.
214
FLOWMUD
6/18/08 8:09:20 AM
S WORD L ANDS
Settlements and
Features
Lordships come and go, but the
largest settlements along the
Sword River endure, no matter
who claims to rule them. Swordlanders are suspicious of visitors
from port cities and watch them
closely.
Aldreth
Riverport Town; Population 6,000
The largest and most sophisticated (or, in the opinion of upriver Swordlanders, most snooty) of the
Sword Lands towns, Aldreth has always had the best
markets, the most wealth, and the greatest variety
of goods, travelers, and strange curios from afar. Its
wealthy senior merchants decide who shall be lord
through financial support (and careful assassination),
and also like to think that they control the direction
and flavor of life in the Sword Lands in which they
invest.
Years ago, upriver Swordlanders started hiring
adventurers to thwart “the old men of Aldreth”—and
the Aldran merchants have recently started hiring
adventurers to hit back.
Fanedown
Traditionally home to many minstrels, jesters, and
wits, Fanedown is one of the few places in Returned
Abeir where books are published. The town is ruled
by a flamboyant fop, Lord Hansibran Maerl.
FAERIE POOLS
In recent decades, many tales have circulated of fey
creatures luring humans to faerie pools for a tryst or a
fatal encounter, but the truth has nothing to do with the
Feywild at all.
Faerie pools are small pools of water tainted with some
odd new mineral in the rocks (possibly introduced by the
Blue Breath of Change). These pools sometimes produce
gases that cause an “air frost” (white sparkles like snowflakes that rise into the air and fade away in moments).
The vapor is otherwise invisible. If inhaled, it causes brief
but vivid hallucinations. Some use the hallucinations for
divinations; it’s said that strong-willed persons can control
the subjects of their visions.
Harimmon
Fortified Riverport Town; Population 5,700
Just “Rimmon” to Swordlanders, this crumbling
former castle is now a warrenlike town crammed
with shady dealers. The town is a magnet for sellswords, rumors, and stolen goods.
Rorst
Settled by outlaw warriors, Rorst is a longtime center
of weaponsmiths and hard-drinking swordswingers.
Ulark
“Ulark-town” to Swordlanders, this is a merry, tolerant home of many brothels and swindlers.
DRAGONHEIRS
A Dragonheir is anyone who has inherited the powers of a
Dragonmaster—a human who can control dragons by gaze,
voice, or touch. Only human bloodlines seem to manifest
these powers. Some wonder if the last king of Amra was
a Dragonmaster, one so potent that the promise made by
the Empress Dragon remains kept centuries later.
Legends say that the greatest Dragonheirs can cause
actual harm to dragons by gaze or by touch. Some tales
say a true Dragonheir can “drive down” a dragon by
confronting it, a feat that forces an affected wyrm to flee
wildly to a remote place and then sink into a torpor. Then
again, these stories could be wildly exaggerated.
Swordlanders often talk of “the lost Dragonheir.” A
favorite story has it that Dragonheir blood flows in the
clans of Horndragon, Arkeld, Relguld, and Marlserpent.
Today, few of the Arkeld and Relguld clans are still alive,
and the other two have been wiped out (though supposed
blood descendants keep proclaiming themselves).
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6/18/08 8:09:21 AM
TARMALUNE
Sometimes called Tarmalune Great Port in Abeiran
accounts, this bustling, cosmopolitan port city rivals
Waterdeep for wealth, activity, tolerance, variety
among both citizens and visitors, and the sheer
number of constantly unfolding opportunities. It
is home to almost 70,000 folk, and it grows more
crowded and wealthy by the day, despite steadily
increasing prices. Every passing month brings
updates in fashions, new ways of making things or
doing business, and new faces holding the center of
attention in society or real power among investors
and traders.
Despite its freedom from dragons, Tarmalune is
also known for being less than kind to escaped slaves
of dragon-ruled realms. Money talks here, and runaways have nothing. More important, locals do not
want to become a destination for escaped slaves, lest a
dragon decide to eradicate such a nexus.
Tarmalune is famous for the 100–foot-tall pillar of
fire that burns, day and night, in the city center. The
flaming pillar burns without fuel, and it cannot be
quenched by rain, snow, or sand. Sometimes tongues
of fire leap out and ignite buildings even hundreds of
feet distant.
Tarmalune Lore
History DC 20: Tarmalune and the surrounding Windrise Ports were long in thrall to a Dawn
Titan called Achazar, which manifested as a swirling
column of fire that burned so hot that even firebreathing dragons feared to come too near. As the
millennia wore on, Achazar moved less and less,
troubling its slaves on fewer and fewer occasions.
Even before the Blue Breath of Change, Achazar’s
pillar had stopped responding to inquiries from the
humans, genasi, dwarves, and other slaves of the quiescent Dawn Titan. Eventually, the slaves declared
themselves free, fearfully at first, then with greater
confidence when Achazar did not rouse and incinerate them for their effrontery. Even then, dragons from
other lands stayed away in case Achazar had laid a
centuries-long ambush. Most locals don’t know what
the burning pillar in the center of Tarmalune really
is, or they haven’t fully realized its significance.
Streetwise DC 10: Tarmalune is ruled by the
wily and fair-minded Hamminas Dorn, a retired
adventurer who established a governing council and
a personally led police force called the Vigilant. Dorn
wars endlessly with defiant merchants, thieves, tax-
216
avoiding shippers, and council members who believe
he should be their mouthpiece and nothing more.
Streetwise DC 15: The twenty-strong Council
of Tarmalune is composed of merchants from a wide
variety of trades. The council recently made its only
universally popular decision thus far: establishing the
Firequench Order, a dozen-strong group of wizards
dedicated to swiftly dousing fires. Some say the wizards also tend the pillar of fire in Tarmalune’s center,
seeking some sort of communion with it.
Streetwise DC 20: Opposition to Dorn’s authority coalesces around Rathgar Malynd, a battlemaster
who runs his own mercenary company, providing
guards for shops, homes, and warehouses as well as
personal security to all paying customers. Malynd is
publicly critical of the competence of the Vigilant and
the meddling of Dorn in what he insists makes Tarmalune truly great. He is fond of saying that a truly
free city should have no lord, other than commerce,
and no one who seeks to be as grand as a dragon.
City Districts
The streets of Tarmalune are broad but choked with
wagons, carts, and folk mounted and afoot. Most city
houses are narrow, high-peaked stone buildings four
stories tall, bristling with dormers. Businesses typically occupy converted houses, with a shop in the
cellar, another at street level, and rooms for rent on
the upper floors. Exterior back stairs lead down into
alleys, and most dwellings have their own small rear
stables.
Tarmalune is crowded and noisy, day and night; its
folk are ambitious and energetic, living for the dream
of achieving great wealth. They live hard, delighting
in revelry and daring, and the shops of Tarmalune
sell all manner of wares.
Arendermore Ward
Tarmalune’s “Noble” Neighborhood
The haughtiest district of the city is Arendermore,
named for the now-dead dwarf builder Arender, who
raised many of its magnificent turreted mansions.
Trendy “new-coins” prefer to dwell in fashionable
Dawnside, which is crowded with dance halls and
salons.
Citadel Firequench
Wizards’ Guild of Firewatchers
Across from the pillar of fire in Tarmalune’s center
stands a massive basalt citadel where the Firequench
Order keeps its headquarters. The mandate of the
order is to keep an eye on the spontaneous fires that
are so frequent in Tarmalune. To many, the Firequench Order wizards are heroes.
6/18/08 8:09:23 AM
Dragon Cult
Freedom-loving Tarmalune tolerates a group of citizens who worship dragons to learn secrets of power
and riches. Frowned upon by most, the Seekers of
Scales meet in a high tower on the edge of the city.
Members include the herbalist Mokaer Morntarn, the
darkly handsome proprietor of Morntarn’s Miracles
on Duth Street, and the dwarf Anratha Harrowstorm,
owner of Harrowstorm Fine Gowns on Winterwood
Way.
The cultists believe that their herb-enhanced
rituals temporarily allow celebrants to attune with
the thoughts of a nearby dragon. Most believe they
are merely deranged. In truth, the cultists actually
wish to learn how to become dragons and so ascend to
p
power.
What most don’t know is that the wizards have taken
it upon themselves to study the pillar of flame more
deeply. They know it is the remaining physical manifestation of Achazar. They probe with rituals to see if
any sentience yet remains within, with the stated goal
of putting out the flame for good. But those who work
on this project might be more interested in learning
the secrets of the Dawn Titan’s power than in destroying it.
Fishstink Ward
Tarmalune’s Nastiest Neighborhood
The worst district of the city is Fishstink, named for
the reek of the fish sold there daily; the poorest in
Tarmalune dine on gulls killed there by younglings
with slung stones or nets and clubs. Gangs roam Fishstink, and runaway slaves from other realms who
arrive penniless in Tarmalune often end up there.
Most never make it out. Tarmalune isn’t known for its
charity.
Halagothra’s House
Tarmalune’s Resident Healer
Halagothra the Healer is a crotchety old woman
who can heal by laying on hands in a manner none
can emulate or understand. She sometimes takes
coin in payment for her services; other times she
requires quests. Halagothra lives in a secure mansion given to her by Rathgar Malynd. Some years
back, Dorn’s security force failed to prevent an agent
of the Empress Dragon from kidnapping the healer,
whom the citizens revere as a local treasure. She was
eventually recovered by Dorn and his Vigilants, but
Rathgar gained much fame for his grand gesture.
THE WINDRISE
W ND
WINDR
DRISE
SE PORTS
O TS
Tarmalune is the largest, wealthiest, and most
socially prominent of the Windrise Ports, independent cities on the eastern shore of the Dragon Sea.
Harglast: Harglast merchant shippers are terse
and practical. Their spartan stone city, ruled by the
dragonborn Lord Merchant Belror Tethel, reflects
this attitude. Cut stone and dried figs are the major
local exports.
Imdolphyn: This is a soaring stone city of narrow,
steep, winding cobbled streets. A wealthy port, Imdolphyn has long been Abeir’s foremost shipbuilding
center. The city is ruled by a famous trader in textiles
and scents, now retired (or so she says), Lord Othmeera Talask.
Ramekho: This ramshackle city is built around
the silty mouth of the River Sundarra. Ramekho is
ungoverned, lawless—and surprisingly peaceful and
popular. Its merchants hire adventurers to deal with
troublemakers.
Sambral: The Sambrese are blademasters who
enjoy florid speech. They love scents and are given to
the use of cosmetics, elaborate hair treatments, and
dramatic clothing. Sambral is ruled by the Twelve
Lords, many whom are members of the Seekers of
Scales.
THE WINDRISE PORTS
Scale Seeker House
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The Underdark
The Underdark is a network of subterranean tunnels,
caverns, seas, and rivers that spans the entire world.
Lightless but far from lifeless, the Underdark is home
to a dizzying array of creatures, from the civilized but
unforgiving drow to carnivorous monsters that haunt
the darkness.
The Upperdark
Comprising approximately the first 3 miles of depth,
the Upperdark is a realm shared by drow, duergar
(gray dwarves) and other dwarves, and deep gnomes.
Here the races of the World Above (as Underdark
dwellers call the surface lands) intermingle with
those who dwell in darkness. Encounters here range
from drow or dwarf patrols to all manner of wandering monsters and humanoid hunting parties. The
largest concentration of plaguecaves (see below) are
encountered in the Upperdark.
The Middledark
The larger drow and deep gnome cities are located
in this layer, 3 to 10 miles below the surface. This
area was relatively insulated from the effects of the
Spellplague, so many of the drow cities remained
unchanged and plaguecaves are rare here. However,
the concentration of faerzress (see below) increases
dramatically in the Middledark.
The Lowerdark
Below 10 miles lie the most dangerous and alien
reaches of the Underdark—places that even drow
seldom venture into. There are more dead ends and
CLANHOLDS
The Upperdark and the Middledark are dotted with
scattered tribes of orcs, goblins, kobolds, and other
humanoids. Their cave dwellings, called clanholds, are
almost always hidden, their tunnels sealed and guarded
to protect the noncombatant females and young of the
tribe. Underdark clanholds send out scouting and hunting parties, and they sometimes fortify the approaches to
their holds with walls, ambush points, domesticated monsters, and traps. The sophistication of a clanhold depends
on the intelligence and wealth of the tribe, ranging from
a stinking cave with a couple of scattered fire pits and
maybe a water supply, to a true underground village.
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isolated vaults in the Lowerdark, and the faerzress
here is more powerful, covering larger and larger
areas with more arcane effects the deeper one
descends. The walls between planes can be thin in
the Lowerdark, with tunnels reaching into the Nine
Hells, the Abyss, the Shadowfell, and other domains
of chaos and evil.
Settlements and
Features
The Underdark is a whole world of its own, with dangers magical and mundane, and a varied ecology that
supports millions of sentient beings and ravenous
monsters.
Faerzress
This magical radiation, a remnant of a work of dark
high magic, is scattered at random throughout the
Underdark. Faerzress interferes with spells and the
effects of magic items in often unpredictable ways,
but has the most detrimental effect on divinations,
teleportation, and most other forms of magical travel.
Faerzress can take a variety of forms, from clusters
of glowing rocks to a barely discernible change in
temperature. Natives of the Underdark know to look
for colonies of magivores, a form of life somewhere
between a plant and a coral that feeds off the magical
radiation. Magivore colonies and their airborne seed
spores provide a ready source of food for the lower
forms of animal life in the Underdark.
Particularly talented wizards are capable of rituals that can alter the form of a pocket of faerzress in
specific ways, but those rituals tend to attract the
EXILES AND HERMITS
Occasionally, a humanoid native of the World Above is
chased from its home or wanders into the Upperdark.
Many such beings never find their way out, and some
choose not to try. These exiles, hermits, outlaws, and
castaways can be found living with tribes of humanoids
or holed up in caves alone. Some are violently protective
of their privacy, others desperate for a way back to the
surface, and still others simply mad. These wild outcasts
could be valuable allies because of their intimate knowledge of their surroundings, or dangerous cannibals eager
for an easy meal.
6/18/08 8:09:26 AM
T H E U N D ER DA R K
attention of the creatures that feed on magivores—and
the creatures that in turn feed on them.
Earth Nodes
Earth nodes are valuable sources of raw magic, collected from the deepest core of Toril, which flow into
a central point indistinguishable from the surrounding territory. They are difficult to find but enormously
valuable. Whole Underdark cities, and no small
number of jealously guarded citadels, have been
built around earth nodes to harness their power. See
“Earth Nodes” on page 51 for more about these magical phenomena.
Earth nodes sometimes generate random effects,
such as creating localized earthquakes or granting a stoneskin effect to creatures nearby. In the last
several decades, numerous efforts by drow arcanists
have resulted in a network of earth node portals that
ignore the effects of faerzress.
Plaguecaves
The Spellplague passed through the Upperdark,
affecting the creatures, and terrain there in many of
the same ways it altered the World Above. Plaguecaves are areas where active pockets of Spellplague
were trapped in enclosed spaces, over time twisting the natural structure of caves and tunnels into
bizarre domains. Here streams flow through the air,
water falls upward, and earthmotes float about like
fish in a bowl.
Some Underdark residents embrace plaguecaves,
especially the spellscarred illithids known as the
Mindplagued. Most Underdark residents stay away
from plaguecaves—drow in particular avoid them at
all cost.
Abysses
Surely the most dangerous of the Underdark’s natural
formations, these deep pits, holes, and chasms don’t
just appear bottomless. Some empty into other planes
of existence, including realms such as the Abyss itself
and the Nine Hells, out of which crawl many twisted
creatures that inhabit the Underdark.
Seas, Lakes, and Rivers
Water is plentiful in the Underdark and takes as
many forms belowground as it does above. Streams of
fresh water meander through tunnels, collecting into
pools or joining with other streams to form rivers that
empty into lakes or seas to rival some of the larger
inland seas of the surface. Some caverns are entirely
submerged, home to aquatic monsters and humanoids, and waterbound aboleths.
Climate
Though most of the Underdark stays at a constant,
cool temperature, with air circulating through shafts
and tunnels, parts of it can experience something like
weather. Cold areas and hot spots, wind tunnels, and
strange, billowing mists appear at random intervals.
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6/18/08 8:09:27 AM
DEEP WASTES
The areas of the Underdark beneath the Dalelands
and the Moonsea are sparsely populated and full of
monsters. The ruins and wilderness areas far outnumber anything resembling civilization.
Deep Wastes Lore
successful Dungeoneering check.
DC 25: Aberrant creatures are more widespread
in the Deep Wastes than in other Underdark areas.
Some of them form gruesome tribes, while others
hunt the darkness alone. Destrachans are numerous
in the east, and beholders are common in the west.
Perhaps this aberrant concentration can be attributed to the past presence of the extinct phaerimms.
Whatever the case, the Deep Wastes are far more
dangerous than some troglodyte-infested deep.
Settlements and
Features
The gloomy wilderness of the Deep Wastes is
punctuated by only a few locales that can be called
settlements.
Sschindylryn
Drow City; Population 15,000
Cormyr’s eyes are turned toward Netheril while the
dark threat of Sschindylryn lurks far under the roots
of the King’s Forest. Also known as the City of Portals
for the many magic gateways that connect it to elsewhere in the Underdark, Sschindylryn has a far reach
in trade and war. The city is built on kuo-toan ruins
in the shallows of Lake Thalmiir. It has submerged
sections, including underwater portals.
Skilled merchants, prospectors, slavers, and ritual
casters, Sschindylryn’s drow have built their strength
for more than a century after a failed attempt to
conquer Menzoberranzan. They are expanding their
territory in the wilds of the Deep Wastes, working
toward perhaps retaking the ruins of Maerimydra.
Lolth’s priestesses in Sschindylryn also cast their
dark thoughts toward sunlit lands.
Brikklext: Named for a goblin warren that once
existed here and had enough infamy to be known
even on the surface, Brikklext now refers to the entire
loose confederation of goblins in this region. Most of
the area is within 1,000 feet of the surface, and large
portions are flooded by a poorly dammed freshwater
spring. All of it is a part of a plagueland that extends
to the surface. Whether this plagueland started in
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Brikklext’s tunnels or on the surface is unknown, but
the old goblin town did have a reputation for strange
magic.
Led by vicious and often mad bugbears and magically talented goblins, the twisted folk of Brikklext
are spellscarred or plaguechanged monstrosities.
The magicians of the confederation work tirelessly
to harness plagueland energy and further sculpt the
warriors and beasts of the tribes under their influence. They raid to capture untainted humanoids
and monsters for use in foul experiments. Rumors
swirl about pits of glowing liquid said to be common
throughout the Brikklext region of the Earthspur
Mountains.
Brikklext has no doubt been the source of terrible
monsters that descend from the Earthspurs to trouble
Impiltur’s borderlands. The goblins seem to have
amassed enough power to experiment on trolls and
other creatures that normally push them around. The
goings-on here have attracted the attention of accordants from the Order of Blue Fire, and it’s entirely
possible that sharns work among the Brikklext
goblins.
Lorosfyr: This long chasm in the Underdark is
the sole domain of a runescribed dracolich named
Anabraxis the Black Talon. The acknowledged leader
of the Cult of the Dragon (page 246), Anabraxis flies
the length of Lorosfyr regularly, stopping at various
lairs she has established. Through the bottomless
abyss, which is really just one huge natural portal,
she also passes into the Shadowfell at will, conducting her affairs as she wishes. Anabraxis brooks no
interlopers aside from her underlings in the cult.
Horrifying undead prowl the ledges of Lorosfyr, and
spirits flit through its gloom. A tribe of death giants
that owes the dracolich fealty lives in the deep regions
of the chasm.
Maerimydra: Lost in religious war during a
period when Lolth was silent to her followers, Maerimydra was once the greatest drow city of the region.
A powerful priestess of the drow goddess of the
undead (who was slain by Lolth long ago) seized the
city, aided by goblins and fire giants.
Fire rules supreme in Maerimydra now. Giants
have cemented their control under their queen, the
fire titan Hledh. The giants and their servants have
rebuilt most of the city to proportionate size and
expanded the vault in which it was built. Azers and
hell hounds patrol the nearby Underdark, and the
giants keep hundreds of drow as slaves.
One needn’t go to Maerimydra proper to find
giants. All the outposts that once policed the surrounding Underdark are also under the control of
Hledh’s clan. Her territory secure, Hledh might start
to ponder whether she can succeed in conquering
part of the Dalelands.
6/18/08 8:09:28 AM
BORDER AREAS
Other Underdark regions border the Deep Wastes, connected enough that some even consider them part of the
same territory.
Buried Realms: Below Netheril are the empty caverns
that once housed the phaerimms, immense wormlike sorcerers that had no greater wish than to rid the world of
lesser species. They succeeded in ruining ancient Netheril,
indirectly forming the Anauroch Desert, but the armies
and mages of returned Shade hunted them to the last.
Those rulers of Netheril command much of the Underdark
now, unearthing ancient sites and relics. However, these
primeval deeps house more than even the shades know,
including ancient undead sarrukh that watch patiently
from their elder halls.
The Glimmersea: Deep under the Sea of Fallen Stars
is the Glimmersea, known also as the Sea of Starry Night.
This vast underground salt lake is 20 miles below the floor
of the Sea of Fallen Stars, its waters provided at least in
part by ribbon falls that issue from the vaulted ceilings.
Those same ceilings often contain luminous minerals or
flora, making them look like a starlit night sky that reflects
off the water below. The Glimmersea’s shores extend
under some nations, such as Aglarond, while parts of the
Sea of Fallen Stars have no Glimmersea beneath.
D E E P WA S T E S
Mines of Tethyamar:
Once legendary for their
wealth and splendor, the
mines of the dwarven realm
of Tethyamar are now a
den of evil. Goblins, ogres,
giants, and demons drove
the dwarves out of the mines
under the Desertsmouth
Mountains and into the
Moonsea region and the
Dalelands. As quickly as the
horde won the day, it broke
into greedy and squabbling
factions. Almost all the treasures of Tethyamar’s dwarf
lords remain within the halls
here, among the hoards of the
conquerors.
The power of Netheril rises
in the west, and these monsters might be gathered
under that banner one day. However, the arrival of
a fomorian lord from the Feywild might have some
influence here as well. Shadar-kai emissaries work
among the tribes of the deeps, culling the weak by
playing on tribal hatreds and making choice assassinations. Cyclops parties have been scouting the
deepest shafts, conquering the denizens there and
setting up mining operations.
Buried Realms
These sites under Netheril border the Deep Wastes.
Ooltul: This city of beholders fell to free phaerimms long ago. During their campaign against the
phaerimms, the modern Netherese discovered and
annihilated Ooltul and other phaerimm holds at
great cost. In so doing, they secured the grudging
allegiance of other beholder clans in the area.
Luminous minerals and gems brighten the bellshaped cavern to a perpetual twilight. It still contains
the shattered remains of massive stone formations once
carved through with beholder hives. A lake at the cavern’s center is dotted with islands formed from pieces
of what must have been a tremendous cave column.
Living beholders prowl the passages nearby, and Ooltul
contains restless spirits and undead from both sides of
the conflict, as well as opportunistic creatures that are
willing to share the large vault with ghosts.
Tomb of the Thaaluds: Legend says that the
original creator of the thaaluds—the demilich called
the Keeper of Thaal—maintains a vault deep under
Netheril where his creations that yet serve him bring
him magic items they collect. This cache has been
the target of bold delvers across the centuries, but few
have found it, and fewer still have lived to escape it.
(See page 262 for more information about thaaluds.)
The “tomb” is actually an ovoid demiplane about
2 cubic miles in size. Its only portal constantly shifts
location and requires a unique adamantine key to
open if one isn’t a thaalud loyal to the demiplane’s
creator. Within is a huge cavern filled with floating earthmotes topped by strange buildings and
surrounded by floating boulders. Moving about the
cavern requires using the boulders as bridges, as the
thaaluds do, or flight, which many of the undead that
serve the Keeper possess.
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EARTHROOT
Beneath the nations of Aglarond, the Great Dale,
Narfell, Thay, Thesk, and Murghôm, as well as the
Hordelands, lies the Underdark domain of Earthroot.
Earthroot Lore
Dungeoneering DC 25: Humanoids inhabit
parts of Earthroot. Drow maintain a sprawling and
unusual metropolis called Undrek’Thoz under Thay.
The cruel duergar live under the Sunrise Mountains,
occasionally harassing the Rashemi and the nomads
of the Endless Wastes. The most numerous aberrant creatures of Earthroot are the cloakers of the
Ramparts of Night, where Earthroot passes into the
Shadowfell. Reclusive shadar-kai live in the Ramparts as well, hiding from their lords in Netheril.
History DC 30: This land below, like the surface
realms above it, is a place of lost empires. Ancient
Narfell and Raumathar established holds here. Mulhorand built a secret necropolis in the deeps while
it yet controlled Thay. Even the Imaskari of old
survived the ruin of their empire by retreating into
Earthroot.
Streetwise DC 35: Deep Imaskar still exists
in Earthroot, but the Spellplague was a disaster
there. Somehow, the Imaskari managed to survive
and rebuild, and unlike Halruaa, Deep Imaskar
never became a plagueland. Rumor has it that the
Imaskari wizards have had some success cleansing
the plaguelands and even curing the spellscarred.
Settlements and
Features
Earthroot is the home of much strangeness. Its deeps
offer dangers few upon the surface can imagine.
The Cold Sea
Subterranean Freshwater Lake
The Cold Sea lies directly beneath Lake Ashane
in Rashemen, and water from that lake feeds into
it from above. The connection to Rashemen is significant, because the Cold Sea has strong ties to the
Feywild. Strange fey inhabit the waters and the surrounding caverns. Fomorian holds exist in glittering
caves on the western side of the sea, their realms
reaching as far west as underneath the eastern arms
of the Dunwood and the Forest of Lethyr.
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Deep Imaskar
Imaskari City; Population 15,000
When their civilization fell to the incarnations
of their slaves’ gods, a few Imaskari fled into the
Underdark, led by the wizard-lord Ilphemon. Using
incredible magic, Ilphemon and his retinue created
the Great Seal, enclosing them in a huge vault. The
Great Seal hid Deep Imaskar, at the same time allowing the Imaskari to grow food, enjoy fresh air, and
bask in bright light.
The Spellplague was hard on Deep Imaskar. Blue
fire erupted in the city. Buildings fell, and extradimensional spaces collapsed. Many great wizards went
mad and ran amok. Spells used to imprison criminals
failed. The government collapsed. Thousands died,
and hundreds more were spellscarred. Deep Imaskar
survived only because its unpredictable wards channeled much of the rampant magic out of the city.
Empress Ususi Manaallin and other High
Imaskari came to the aid of the beleaguered realm.
With their help, the remaining Deep Imaskari
cleansed their city and rebuilt, refusing to leave what
they considered their homeland. They killed spellscarred creatures or drove them away. Spellscarred
Imaskari who retained their faculties, however, were
accepted into the new society.
Much of the city’s recent history is tied to the
realm of High Imaskar. Deep Imaskar remains
linked to its aboveground counterpart, but it is an
independent state. Many of the most adventurous
Imaskari have returned to the surface, and those who
remain in Deep Imaskar tend to be conservative and
insular—some might even say paranoid. Distrust and
resentment create tension between the upper and
lower realms.
City Structure: Deep Imaksar occupies a vault 3
miles long, 1 mile wide, and half a mile high. Magic
allows buildings to stand on the curving walls of the
vault and connects them through peculiar walkways
or arcane bridges. Thus, the city of Deep Imaskar is
actually about 2 miles across.
Deep Imaskari use magic to alter the space within
their buildings as well, so they hold more than their
KEY FIGURES OF
DEEP IMASKAR
Deep Imaskar is not subject to the rule of High Imaskar’s
leader, Ususi Manaallin. Instead, High Lord Planner Yannu
Hywillan governs with the aid of a wizards’ council known
as the Planners.
The High Lord Planner directly commands Lady Apprehender Synnis Naramixna, who is an intelligence officer
as well as manager of the city’s protection wards.
Yannu also has Lord Enactor Vardyn Xalzussi to handle
law enforcement and military matters.
6/18/08 8:09:30 AM
Fraasz
Duergar City; Population 5,000
When the earth-shattering displacement of Thay
devastated their earlier hold, the gray dwarves of
Fraaszummdin founded a new settlement in a nearby
vault. Located under the Sunrise Mountains of Eastern Rashemen, Fraasz is surrounded by a maze of
tunnels that the duergar call the Wandering. The
settlement is so isolated and well defended that it has
no real rivals nearby.
The duergar of Fraasz have a knack with underground beasts. Bearing the same name as the city,
the leading clan oversees trade and watches its rivals.
Clan feuding is common in the fractious community,
and outsiders take sides whether they want to or not—
often just by dealing with a specific duergar.
Other than animal training and herding for a
living, the duergar prospect for minerals, sometimes
E ARTHROOT
outer shells suggest. Relatively
small domes, common to
Imaskari architecture, often
enclose immense spaces that
seem like daylit outdoors.
The actual size of the city is
impossible to calculate, since
it changes as regularly as
citizens wish it to—with the
permission of the Planners.
Magical gardens produce
food for the Deep Imaskari,
who are all vegetarian. Pure
water and air constantly flow
to the city by similar means.
The Spellplague forced Deep
Imaskar to rely on High
Imaskar for a short time, and
limited trade and travel exists
between the two realms. Deep
Imaskar deals with no one else.
The Great Seal: The physical form of Deep
Imaskar’s Great Seal no longer exists. In its place,
the northern wall of the vault has a perfectly circular hole 2,000 feet wide. This void allows Deep
Imaskari into the greater Underdark, and it still bears
thousands of renewed wards that protect the city. No
spellscarred creature can cross the city’s threshold
without proper passwords.
Lodge of Retribution: Within Deep Imaskar is
a new lodge for an old Imaskari sect known as vengeance-takers. Counterparts to the individuals of the
same title in High Imaskar, vengeance-takers bring
justice to those who harm Deep Imaskar or any other
thing they have sworn to protect. The major goal of
the lodge in Deep Imaskar is driving the Masters of
Absolute Accord (see below) out of the former Lodge
of the Retributive Masters.
vying with Rashemi near the surface. Slavery is also
an accepted business, and the dwarves here raid
goblin holds, kobold warrens, and remote settlements
of more civilized races for fun and profit.
Ramparts of Night
Shadow Abyss
Under the Hordelands and the eastern Sunrise
Mountains near Thay is an immense abyss. The Ramparts of Night expanded during the Spellplague to
swallow much of Earthroot under the Copper Mountains in Murghôm. No part of the abyss reaches the
surface, but it is bottomless—the whole expanse connects to the Shadowfell. Creatures of shadow infest
its walls, and anyone brave enough to do so can pass
through to a canyon on the Shadowfell.
Outposts of free shadar-kai are common throughout the Ramparts of Night, far from Netheril and the
reach of the Princes of Shade. These shadar-kai harvest worldly valuables from the Underdark. They also
raid, harrying Thayan and Hordelands settlements as
well as the drow of Undrek’Thoz.
Ikemmu
Shadar-Kai City; Population 8,000)
The largest enclave of shadar-kai exists in this burned
and broken city that they established on the edge
of the Ramparts of Night. Cloakers were the settlement’s only natives, and called the place Sphur Upra
(“Gloaming Home”). Much of the city is vertical. The
shadar-kai use their shadow powers to more easily
traverse it, while the native cloakers fly.
Half of Ikemmu exists now in the canyon that
reflects the Ramparts of Night in the Shadowfell.
Shadar-kai use it as a major trade point between the
planes, and they even allow outlanders here. Only
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6/18/08 8:09:30 AM
those approved by the authorities can pass into the
Shadowfell side of the city.
Some come to Ikemmu to research its mysterious
past. The shadar-kai didn’t build the city, and the
architecture is like nothing seen elsewhere. Carvings remaining in the place depict delicate winged
humanoids along with cloakers, and fire damage
suggests the blue flames of the Spellplague. Mysterious doorlike arches graven with ritual symbols are
carved into walls in one of the city’s open markets.
Learned observers speculate that the former inhabitants used these doors to enter another world, perhaps
with foresight of the coming Spellplague.
Undrek’Thoz
BORDERLAND: DEEP RAURIN
Beneath the Raurin Desert and the Plains of Purple Dust
is a sister region to Earthroot known as Deep Raurin.
The Raurin Desert is itself remote and desolate, and
the Underdark beneath it is unknown to most civilized
folk. But it is a region filled with history, magic, and
malevolence.
Adder’s Heart: Secreted in Deep Raurin is a vast
temple and necropolis complex once dedicated to the
god Set, who is now Sseth. Serpentine portals connect
Adder’s Heart to other temples, the Shadowfell, and the
Towers of Night. Although serpentine creatures, basilisks,
medusas, and even a few yuan-ti haunt the halls of the
temple, the structure is primarily a center for Sseth’s
human and nonreptilian worshipers. Its chambers house
cultists of varying power, as well as hateful and toxic
magical secrets. The necropolis contains honored dead,
imprisoned spirits, and undead guardians.
Groundwork of the Purple Emperor: The Palace of
the Purple Emperor once stood within Raurin. It vanished
into the Celestial Nadir (see page 140) in the final days of
the Imaskari, and returned in the years before the Spellplague. Ususi moved the palace, over many years, to its
current location. It is now called Skyclave. However, its
original foundations and sublevels remain underneath
the dust and sand. Even with the establishment of High
Imaskar, these ruins have never been reclaimed.
An efreet karadjin named Zonaggati now rules the
foundations from a rich hall in Deep Raurin. His legions
of fire creatures and other elementals work to open
the underhalls of the old Imaskari seat and to ferret
out mighty sorceries. With the power he has gathered,
Zonaggati is a rising threat that commands the fealty of
numerous other efreets within Raurin.
The Vuthivyr: Settlements of ancient Imaskar lie
buried under Raurin and the Plains of Purple Dust.
Some of these old sites have open vaults and passages
that form the uppermost layer of Deep Raurin. A race of
subterranean lizardfolk intermixed with troglodytes, calling themselves the Vuthivyr, rule in the western reaches
of these ruins. Corrupted by age-old eldritch energy run
amok during the Spellplague, these creatures are beyond
reason, and they bear spellscars and include aberrant
creatures among them. They also possess fantastic powers
and treasures garnered from Imaskar’s lost legacy. Some
stories have arisen suggesting that the Vuthivyr are pawns
of a bipedal sarrukh or some other primeval being.
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Drow Metropolis; Population 50,000
The so-called Segmented City is actually a confederation of drow settlements, called segments,
spread across the Underdark near Thay and linked
by portals. These communities were once separate
and isolated, but they allied centuries ago for mutual
defense. Since then, individual traditions and social
practices have blended to become a single norm.
Because of its geographic position, Undrek’Thoz
suffered greatly during the Spellplague and the subsequent rising of Thay. Tectonic and volcanic activity
destroyed two segments under Thaymount; quakes
buried and allowed the nearby Cold Sea to drown
another segment under Lake Mulsantir. Magical
backlashes destroyed yet another under the ruins of
Delhumide. The chaos left all the segments damaged
and opened the door to drastic change.
A rebellion broke out during the cataclysm. An
alliance of the Blackened Fist (an independent clan
of drow monks), Archmage Nurymm Zek, Vyrald
Zek, and Matron Harthel Vrasl attacked all the other
major houses of the city. The rebels were successful,
raising arcane power and male drow to prominence
within Undrek’Thoz.
Portal Travel: Members of the Blackened Fist
stand guard, check papers, and collect tolls at portals
throughout Undrek’Thoz. Papers stating identity and
intent are required for any sort of travel through the
portals, and those who lack such identification can
be arrested, enslaved, or killed. Tolls must be paid
as well, with these proceeds funding portal maintenance and increasing the coffers of the Blackened
Fist, the archmage, and House Zek. This monitoring
system helps control traffic, as well as contributing to
the capture of escaped slaves and fleeing criminals.
Al’Vrasl: Matron Vrasl’s old home is now a trade
center that maintains exits into the Sunrise Mountains for raiding into the Hordelands and limited
trade with Thay. Necromancy is widely practiced
here.
Brundag: Brundag was a hobgoblin city, and
those same hobgoblins have been slaves of the
drow for centuries. Thay’s rise and the burning of
Amruthar almost spelled Brundag’s end, but the
segment was rebuilt. It has benefited from access to
geothermal and volcanic activity since. The caverns
of the city are warm and wet, rich in Underdark
fauna. Thermal vents and lava provide mechanical
power.
6/18/08 8:09:32 AM
The Boneyard: Built by Mulhorandi necromancers more than a millennium ago under Thesk near
the Forest of Lethyr, the Boneyard is a necropolis
properly called Pholzubbalt. It gained its common
moniker from a group of explorers that discovered
it and retreated after marking its location on a map.
Pholzubbalt’s expansive passages and vaults once
housed several very powerful necromancers and
undead both sentient and bestial. The Spellplague
destroyed many of these in gouts of blue fire.
Espera, a genasi necromancer, had already tied
herself to Shar’s power of shadow. She died in the
conflagration but was resurrected as a larva mage.
Having been given her fondest wish—to become
undead—Espera went about ritually reconstituting the
Boneyard’s undead and creating lieutenants. Several
skull lords now serve her, as do demons, boneclaws,
and a unique skeletal creature constructed from the
remains of a dracolich. She has also achieved an alliance with a nightwalker, another of Shar’s servants,
and thereby has a cadre of bodaks at her disposal.
With such a force, Espera’s hatred for the living
might soon spur her to war against even mighty
Undrek’Thoz. If she were to conquer that city, she
could then take her armies to the surface in Thay,
Murghôm, and the Hordelands. The nightmare
would only worsen if the charismatic Szass Tam convinces Espera to join him.
The Cure: Wizards in Deep Imaskar are sending
probes into the plaguelands and experimenting on
the spellscarred. They even welcome outsiders who
are willing to brave the plaguelands to bring back
samples and test countermeasures. They’ve had some
success in cleansing the area closest to Deep Imaskar
and reversing some spellscars, especially on those
recently afflicted.
Deep Imaskari Plagueland: The Underdark
around Deep Imaskar and even the surface above
the city is a seething plagueland full of spellscarred,
both monsters and a few mad Imaskari. Approaching
the city from underground is a treacherous task that
seldom ends with admittance to the city. Those welcome in Deep Imaskar usually arrive through portals
to the surface, most of which lie in High Imaskar.
Masters of Absolute Accord: Near Deep
Imaskar, where the Lodge of the Retributive Masters
once existed, is a place of madness. Vengeance-takers
and wizards of Deep Imaskar sequestered within
three mighty arcanists driven mad during the Spellplague, aided by one of the lodge’s elder members.
Trapped, the mad mages and the elder vengeancetakers melded into one another, forming a quaternary
entity known as the Masters of Absolute Accord. See
“Order of Blue Fire” (page 264) for more information.
The Masters reach out from their prison to
manipulate nearby creatures and terrain. They can
sometimes form and send forth humanlike bodies
or spirits of lesser power. Every once in a while, they
direct an attack at Deep Imaskar. Wild tales say the
Masters have spoken to people and even manipulated
events in plaguelands across Faerûn. Nobody knows
their purpose, but without any basis, many believe
they are malevolent.
Many spellscarred beings, especially those of
the Order of Blue Fire, have visions or visitations
associated with the Masters. Those who know of the
Masters seek them as if they were messianic figures
or even faces of a deity. Few have any inkling where
the Masters reside, and fewer still could manage the
dangers of approaching this bizarre being.
E ARTHROOT
The House of Lightless Truth, the citadel of the
monks of the Blackened Fist, is the most prominent
building in Brundag. To avoid the ire of the Spider
Queen, and to keep an eye on the priestesses that
serve her, the monks house a large temple to Lolth
within the stronghold. Haznyn Tellen’hez, leader of
the Blackened Fist, is the most powerful male drow in
Undrek’Thoz. His wife, Matron Huirann Tellen’hez,
once a commoner, intends him to remain so.
Onamym: With the fall of House Jenn’Yxir,
former namesake of this segment, House Onamym
rose to prominence. Onamym has exits into the
Sunrise Mountains that lead to Thay and Murghôm.
Raiding and slaving are still the leading vocations
here.
Phaundakulzan: Under the easternmost part of
the Thesk Mountains, this settlement is the largest
and most prominent in Undrek’Thoz since the Spellplague. House Phaundal rules here with the backing
of the ubiquitous Blackened Fist monks. The segment has a long-standing tradition of arcane power,
and many of its prominent inhabitants are sorcerers,
swordmages, warlocks, or wizards. Phaundakulzan
also manages a complex throughout Mount Nirg in
the Thesk Mountains (page 183).
Vrasl: This segment, once known as Trun’zoy’zl, is
the religious center of Undrek’Thoz. The lich Matron
Harthel Vrasl oversees the temple complex in the
city. Undead augment the ranks of soldiers, spiders,
demons, and Blackened Fist monks that defend this
segment.
Vao’Zek: The stabilizing that saved Eltabbar and
Lake Thaylambar in Thay also spared this segment,
which was once called Mezrylornyl. The segment is
the seat of the Archmage of Undrek’Thoz as well as
that of House Zek, ruled by Matron Vyrald Zek. Wizards of Vao’Zek maintain the portals that connect the
segments.
225
6/18/08 8:09:33 AM
GREAT BHAERYNDEN
Beneath the vast Underchasm and the majority of
southern Faerûn, the Underdark realm now known
as Great Bhaerynden yawns. Much of this region was
destroyed in the formation of the Underchasm, which
displaced and destroyed numerous outposts and
settlements. Like the World Above, Great Bhaerynden recovered in time, even though much of it is now
a twilight world burned by the sun during the middle
of the day.
Great Bhaerynden Lore
successful History check.
DC 40: Few know that the collapse of the Underchasm is a cataclysmic echo of events long past.
Fewer still know what was truly lost in that great gap’s
creation.
The region was the original homeland for two of
Faerûn’s great races—the dwarves and the drow. The
dwarves named the caverns of the south Bhaerynden,
and they maintained a realm there for thousands of
years. Bhaerynden fell when the drow descended into
the Underdark and founded the domain of Telantiwar. In a merciless war, they drove the dwarves out
of their ancient home and into many other regions
of Faerûn. For reasons lost to time, the caverns containing much of Telantiwar collapsed less than two
millennia later, forming the Great Rift. The drow
scattered, and soon after, dwarves returned and settled the Great Rift. Underchasm’s fall shattered part
of the Great Rift and crushed many of the remaining
drow realms, no doubt burying valuable antiquities
and irreplaceable historic records. East Rift is almost
all that remains intact.
Settlements and
Features
Though few would expect it after the fall of the
Underchasm, the deeps of Great Bhaerynden offer a
wide array of life.
PORTALS
Earth’s End contains a number of portals. Most common
among them are restricted portals that let in light from
the World Above but don’t allow physical objects to pass
through. Portals to the Elemental Chaos bring in fresh
air and water regularly, as well as removing waste. Major
portals allow passage to the elemental realm of Root
Hold and the Ilmatari Monastery of the Yellow Rose in
the Earthspur Mountains of Damara.
226
Earth’s End
Town; Population 1,500
More than 20 miles beneath northeastern Halruaa,
Earth’s End is a community inhabited by earth
creatures, genasi, and Halruaans who escaped the
magical conflagration that destroyed their nation.
The town has always been a nexus of elemental activity because of a planar portal within it. However,
it was an isolated realm, far from the surface. The
arrival of humans intent on staying and the creation
of the Underchasm changed that situation.
Wizards altered Earth’s End to be a comfortable
home for humans. Where pockets in the earth once
allowed passage only to those who could somehow
move through rock and soil, the wizards made a
town of elegant passages and magically lit rooms.
Once reachable only by those who had the power to
descend through or teleport into the earth, the settlement now has an exit into the Underchasm.
For the sake of conventional trade and travel, citizens sculpted a road across the treacherous rubble
of the Underchasm to the East Rift, coincidentally
extending their reach to Delzimmer. Earth’s End has
access to valuable minerals, as well as many magic
portals, but its remoteness protects it as much as its
citizens do.
Genasi: Genasi, most of whom have earth-related
abilities, are common in Earth’s End. They enjoy a
special position of power as go-betweens for elementals and humans, and they hold influential positions
within the town. Most police are genasi, and the town
council always elects a genasi mayor called a speleosa—an approximation of the Primordial word for
monarch. The speleosa oversees the town and votes to
break deadlocks in the council, and usually has some
power related to nature or the elements.
Humans: The humans of Earth’s End are few in
number but great in power. Seven wizards, along
with their kith and kin, escaped the Spellplague by
fleeing to Earth’s End. The tradition of wizardry
and respect for elemental beings runs strong among
the humans. A youth often undertakes a voluntary
rite of passage by going out into Faerûn and seeking
fortune, a suitable spouse, and other respectable folk
who might want to return to the town. Earth’s End is
a source of adventurers, as well as a destination for
them.
Others: Earth creatures of all sorts coexist with
the humans and genasi of Earth’s End. Only the
wicked and the destructive are kept out. A group of
earth-infused dwarves, who call themselves urdunnir
and cleave tightly to the philosophies of Grumbar, is
a significant portion of the population, as are other
dwarves. Small numbers of other nonhumans have
also come to Earth’s End over the years.
6/18/08 8:09:33 AM
G R E AT B H A E R Y N D E N
Fluvenilstra
Fluvenilstra, 11 miles beneath
the Shaar Desolation, is
known to only a few on the
surface. Some identify it as
the Garden City of Great
Bhaerynden, because the
settlement has the greatest
abundance of edible and
useful Underdark flora in the
region, if not all of Faerûn.
Fluvenilstra benefits from
water that no longer reaches
the desert above. It is also
home to a large number of
genasi who mix water and
earth abilities. Genasi who
display or wish to hone similar
inborn talents often come to
Fluvenilstra to learn.
Other courageous souls, genasi or otherwise, seek
to serve among the Circle of the Depths, priests of
Silvanus who run the Garden City. Still others are
tourists who wish to visit the underground jungle that
is Fluvenilstra, lit only by luminescent fungi. Mundane plants aren’t all that one can see here. Myriad
plant creatures inhabit and guard the city, including sentient fungusfolk called myconids. Magically
enhanced plants form buildings and living defense
systems.
A few hundred soldiers also protect the city, but
peaceful visitors are welcome here, even those from
unusual places. Fluvenilstra maintains contact with
and portals to Gulthandor, the Amtar Forest, and
other regions. The city’s citizens sometimes use portals to travel to the surface or to explore the wider
Underdark and Underchasm.
T’lindhet
The largest drow enclave in Great Bhaerynden,
T’lindhet has spent decades recovering from the
uprising in and loss of Dambrath. Located 3 miles
below the Gnollwatch Mountains, the city sprawls
along a flat rise within a great cavern. A river flows
around that rise, so the city has ample water.
Having learned a hard lesson at the hands of
the rebellious Dambrathans, the sixteen houses of
T’lindhet actively vie for power. The drow of the city
enjoy their creature comforts and their bloody sacrifices. Although the road from Dambrath to T’lindhet
was sealed and never reopened, the drow have secret
ways to reach the surface to hunt humans and the
elves of Amtar. They also stalk the Underchasm,
regularly raiding the road between Earth’s End and
East Rift.
The Oozing Ruin: Smashed beneath the crushing weight of the earth, the drow city of Llurth Drier
is no more. In its place are fields of rubble and fallen
stone. Spaces and gaps within the ruin still allow
access to the remains of drow holds. Monstrous
oozes and twisted aberrant creatures lurk in the
shadows there. Rumors suggest that an amorphous
creature of hideous proportions dwells in a vault that
yet lies open—and that this creature is an avatar of
Ghaunadaur.
Lightdrinker: The abyss known as Lightdrinker
extends from near the surface to an unfathomable
depth, passing into the Shadowfell. Light pierces
the gloom that enshrouds the chasm only to half the
normal distance, and traveling within Lightdrinker is
akin to traveling abroad on a brisk winter day. Worldweariness hangs about the place. Creatures of shadow
prowl the deep, and the cave dwellings of dark ones
dot the abyss’s cliffs. A mighty nightwalker holds
court somewhere in Lightdrinker or the adjoining
Shadowfell, and the creature’s bodaks hunt the yawning reaches.
Wild Drow: Llurth Drier died, but thousands of
that festering city’s drow survived. Those who were
able and willing fled to other drow holds, such as
T’lindhet. Others spread like vicious rats, attacking
any place they thought they could hold. Some even
managed to take Underhome from the dwarves of the
East Rift. Now, refusing to cooperate enough to build
any major settlement, wild drow clans wander the
Underchasm, a plague to any who brave the place.
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6/18/08 8:09:34 AM
MENZOBERRANZAN
Contained in a huge natural cavern deep in the
Underdark, Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders, is
home to some 25,000 drow and almost that many
slaves. It is the center of the worship of Lolth, the
Queen of the Demonweb Pits.
Menzoberranzan Lore
History DC 12: Menzoberranzan was founded
more than five millennia ago by priestesses of the
Spider Queen, and ever since has been ruled by a
rigid matriarchal theocracy devoted to their dark
goddess. The city was rocked in the early 1370s DR
by the sudden withdrawal of Lolth from her worshipers, and Menzoberranzan sent an expedition to the
Demonweb Pits to appeal to their silent goddess.
What they found was a great cocoon and a transformed Lolth, more powerful than ever.
Streetwise DC 15: Life in Menzoberranzan can
be cruel and short for those not willing to embrace
the drow ways of deception, manipulation, and submission to the matron mothers.
But all is not cruelty and brutality in the City of
Spiders. Ambitious female drow of lesser houses, or
even from the peasantry, can rise to the highest levels
of power—or at least better their place in the stratified
realm. But males are limited in how high they can
rise in the matriarchal society, especially those who
have lost the protection of one of the noble houses.
City Districts
The entire city of Menzoberranzan is carved into
towering stalagmites and huge stalactites hanging
from the cavern’s thousand-foot-high vault, intricately
carved and aglow with eldritch flame.
where the drow of Menzoberranzan can buy and
sell just about everything imaginable. The Bazaar is
a peaceful and open place patrolled by house guards
and punctuated by street performers and hucksters.
Merchants are not allowed to place their carts or
stalls in the same place for more than a day, so the
layout and mix of vendors is always different.
The Braeryn
Stenchstreets
The garbage-strewn alleys and spider-infested shanties of the least of Menzoberranzan’s neighborhoods
are the domain of houseless males, defrocked priestesses, maimed soldiers, and ruined merchants. Life
is cheap in the Stenchstreets, and wealthy drow
sometimes go there for drunken hunts, chasing down
escaped slaves and dishonored drow for sport.
Eastmyr
Working-Class District
Though not too far a step down from Manyfolk,
Eastmyr is a poorer neighborhood of struggling
merchants, lesser tradesfolk, and mercenaries.
None of the major ruling houses are located there,
but the ruins of Houses Oblodra and Freth, and the
abandoned House Kenafin compound, are home to
squatters and escaped slaves.
Manyfolk
Trade District
If there’s such a thing as a middle class in the City
of Spiders, it lives in the winding thoroughfares of
Manyfolk, which sports the highest concentration of
permanently housed tradespersons and merchants in
the city.
Inns, taverns, higher-class festhalls, and an
array of fine massage salons are sprinkled through
this neighborhood. The streets here are crowded
with drow and their slaves going about their daily
business.
The Bazaar
Ever-Changing Market
A circle of bare bedrock about 750 feet in diameter,
the Bazaar is a marketplace full of stalls and carts
MATRON MOTHER
QUENTHEL BAENRE
The most powerful matron mother in Menzoberranzan is
Quenthel Baenre, the Mistress Mother of Arach-Tinilith,
who was on hand in the Demonweb Pits for the rebirth
of Lolth. Returning to the City of Spiders as a dark heroine to her fanatical people, it took her only a decade to
push her sister Triel into a confrontation the weaker sister
couldn’t hope to win.
228
THE CLAWRIFT
This claw-shaped chasm is one of three that mar the surface of the City of Spiders, but the Clawrift has the most
storied past and most frightening reputation.
The former Third House of Menzoberranzan, House
Oblodra, was once located in a huge and luxurious compound between the first and second “fingers” of the
Clawrift. After a prolonged war with House Baenre, Oblodra was pulled into the seemingly bottomless crevasse by
Lolth’s own monstrous claws.
Now a breeding ground for kobold slaves and one of
many safe houses for Bregan D’aerthe mercenaries, the
Clawrift stands as an enduring symbol of House Baenre’s
power.
6/18/08 8:09:35 AM
MEN ZOBER R A N Z A N
Narbondellyn
The Broad Streets District
This exclusive neighborhood of large manor houses
and fashionable shops is the showplace of Menzoberranzan. The stalagmite towers here are more
masterfully carved, and more intricately adorned
with magical fire, than those in any other part of the
city.
Narbondellyn is home to numerous gem-cutters
and jewelers, including the bitter rivals Hondel
Belek’tyr and Juron Shadalun (son of Mritt Shadalun,
found dead in Belek’tyr’s vault in 1463 DR),
NOTABLE MERCHANTS
OF MANYFOLK
Rhauvais del’Ygana deals in exotic weapons, including the poison-tipped darts and hand crossbows that
traditionally define the drow warrior. She claims to know
a million different ways to conceal a weapon on any
drow.
The slaver Hrong Freedman bought his freedom after
two decades in the gladiatorial pits of West Wall. He
stayed on in the city to sell kobolds, goblins, and more
exotic humanoids, including the odd human, to Menzoberranzan’s most discerning slave owners.
The female drow Sh’aun Darnruel sells exquisite gowns
of the finest spidersilk to the matron mothers and to
those who hope one day to join their ranks.
who trade in the most exotic jewels from all over
Toril—and worlds beyond.
As famous as their jewelers, the perfumers of
Narbondellyn sell only to the finest drow in Menzoberranzan, and their scents are woven with magical
compulsions that make them more than simple cosmetics. In the right hands, such a perfume is the key
to power and influence—two of any drow’s favorite
things.
Narbondel: This huge stalagmite is magically
heated every evening by Gromph Baenre himself.
The heat rises from the base of the pillar to the tip
over the course of 12 hours, and then it cools for the
same length of time. Through this glowing tower of
rock the Menzoberranyr mark the passage of time in
the sunless Underdark.
HOUSE BAENRE COMPOUND
As befits the First House of Menzoberranzan, the
impressive Baenre compound is a collection of twenty
stalagmites and thirty stalactites surrounded by a fence
of enchanted silver web and guarded by the finest army
in the City of Spiders.
The central mound conceals a chapel dedicated to
Lolth in which Matron Mother Quenthel holds court. Her
predecessor’s cavernous audience chamber at the top of
the mound was sealed at Quenthel’s orders—with the
rotting corpse of her sister entombed within.
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6/18/08 8:09:36 AM
Qu’ellarz’orl
The Place of Nobles
This tall shelf on the southern end of the city overlooks the rest of Menzoberranzan, and from that lofty
perch, the massive compound of House Baenre looks
down on the rest of the city.
A massive forest of giant mushrooms adds a
strange beauty to the plateau, which is patrolled by
guards from Houses Baenre, Xorlarrin, and Mizzrym.
All three of those houses drill their troops and wizards across the open expanses in a show of force to
the rest of the city.
Off one wall of the western end of Qu’ellarz’orl is a
small, well-guarded cave, the Chamber of the Ruling
Council, in which the matron mothers of the eight
most powerful houses meet.
Tier Breche
The Academy
Dominating the northern reaches of the city, the
great stairway of Tier Breche is the largest structure
in Menzoberranzan. The approach is guarded by
myriad deadly traps, an honor guard of two MeleeMagthere upperclassmen, and two 15-foot-tall jade
spiders that can animate to protect the place.
Atop Tier Breche are the three branches of the
Academy, the center of learning and the source of
drow “ justice” that both serves and controls the
matron mothers, as their powerful leaders see fit.
Arach-Tinilith: Housed in a building in the shape
of a giant spider, Arach-Tinilith is the most powerful
branch of the Academy. Since the rise of Quenthel
Baenre, it is even more closely allied with the First
House. Quenthel has not officially relinquished her
title of Mistress Mother of Arach-Tinilith, despite the
fact that it is unprecedented for a matron mother to
hold both titles.
Female drow are sent to Arach-Tinilith at the age
of forty to complete five decades of training in the
cruel and demanding service of their demon goddess.
There they learn to summon, control, and mate with
demons.
Melee-Magthere: This martial arts school
produces some of the most gifted and cunning handto-hand combatants in all of Toril. Those who are
selected to undertake the ten-year course are mostly
males. The building is an unadorned stone pyramid.
Sorcere: A slender and graceful tower houses
the wizard school of the Academy, overseen by the
Archmage of Menzoberranzan. Drow (mostly males)
who show a talent or inclination for magic are identified at a young age, then sent to Sorcere at the age of
twenty-five to complete thirty years of training.
West Wall
The Old Quarter
This neighborhood of lesser houses and wealthy
merchants is a quiet place where little of interest ever
happens—and the residents like it that way. Some
of the neighbors indulge in esoteric pursuits: gambling over slaves who are forced to fight to the death,
collecting arcane magic artifacts from across the multiverse, or hunting and capturing strange creatures
from the World Above. Anyone walking the streets
of West Wall would never know of these activities,
though. Discretion is the watchword here.
The Ruling Houses
Eight of the most powerful drow clans form the
Ruling Council, and they keep a firm hand over
everything that transpires in the City of Spiders.
House Baenre
The First House
House Baenre has held its position for so long that no
drow alive remembers any other First House, but it
has expended considerable effort over the centuries
to fend off attempts to change that status. Houses
THE DARK DOMINION
GROMPH BAENRE
The Archmage of Menzoberranzan, Gromph Baenre, is
the brother and chief rival of Quenthel. The two have
never seen eye to eye and still occasionally try to kill each
other, though Gromph has remained loyal to the matriarchy throughout some difficult times. If he was ever going
to seize control of Menzoberranzan, it would have been
during Lolth’s Silence, when he was the most powerful
spellcaster in the city. But Gromph likes to lead from the
shadows, secretly pushing and prodding the city in his
chosen direction.
He maintains a sanctum that might be in the tower
of Sorcere or in a pocket dimension of his own creation.
Gromph prefers not to say.
230
Within the vast chamber of Menzoberranzan, the rule of
the noble houses brings relative peace and security, but
the City of Spiders is still a part of the Underdark. Numerous caves lead off from the city into the endless maze
of tunnels and chambers of the Underdark, collectively
known as the Dark Dominion. Only a few steps out of the
city, this subterranean wilderness takes hold.
Drow use the tunnels for clandestine meetings in
places such as the Glowstones, a cave of luminescent stones to the north, or the Cavern of the Severed
Tentacles to the south, so named for a long-ago battle
between drow and illithids. Areas of faerzress interfere
with magic, strange creatures stalk any warm-blooded
prey, and drow sometimes meet with other races to discuss betrayals, assassinations, and trade agreements.
6/18/08 8:09:38 AM
House Barrison Del’Armgo
The Second House
Matron Mother Mez’Barris Armgo and her three surviving daughters quickly filled the gap left by disgraced
House Agrach Dyrr to become the Second House.
Though home to fewer priestesses than the other
ruling houses, Barrison Del’Armgo has collected a staff
of house wizards second to none in Menzoberranzan.
The house tends to keep its own counsel, eschewing
close alliances or open conflict with any of the other
houses. Rumors that Mez’Barris and Gromph enjoy
some kind of intimate relationship have persisted for
decades, but none dare attempt to confirm them.
House Xorlarrin
The Third House
In the days following the end of Lolth’s Silence,
House Xorlarrin enjoyed the favor of Triel Baenre for
its tireless and close military alliance against duergar
invaders and the upstart Agrach Dyrr. That favor was
enough to help Matron Mother Zeerith Q’Zorlarrin
leapfrog over House Faen Tlabbar to capture the rank
of Third House.
Like Barrison Del’Armgo, House Xorlarrin
employs a greater than average number of wizards,
all based out of the lofty Spelltower Xorlarrin, which
stands adjacent to House Baenre on Qu’ellarz’orl.
House Faen Tlabbar
The Fourth House
The priestesses of House Faen Tlabbar, led by Matron
Mother Ghenni’tiroth Tlabbar, are among the most
devout in Menzoberranzan. So fanatical are they that
even some of the high priestesses of Arach-Tinilith
are made uneasy by their wild orgies with demons
and mass sacrifices in the name of their twisted
goddess.
MEN ZOBER R A N Z A N
such as Oblodra, Do’Urden, and Agrach Dyrr have
crossed paths with the Baenre matrons, and all have
fallen by the wayside.
The First House effectively controls all three
branches of the Academy and holds firm alliances
with most of the other ruling houses. Still, power
draws attention in Menzoberranzan, and the attention of any drow can be a dangerous thing. House
Baenre remains forever on its guard.
House Mizzrym
The Fifth House
A close ally of both her Qu’ellarz’orl neighbors Baenre
and Xorlarrin, Matron Mother Miz’ri Mizzrym is a
wily and duplicitous negotiator who has trade contacts throughout the Underdark and even in the
World Above. Much of the slave trade in Menzoberranzan is controlled by House Mizzrym, as well as
the trade in illicit magic items.
House Fey-Branche
The Sixth House
Fey-Branche is one of the oldest of the ruling houses,
having been among the top tier of drow clans for over
four thousand years. It credits much of that longevity to its having played the lackey to the other houses
for so long. Though Fey-Branche occupies the rank of
Sixth House, Matron Mother Byrtyn Fey fully expects
that both Melarn and Vandree will soon challenge
it, and the house will most likely have to accept the
eighth rank once again.
House Melarn
BREGAN D’AERTHE
Bregan D’aerthe is a company of mercenaries, assassins,
and scouts founded and still led (though from afar and
through intermediaries) by Jarlaxle Baenre (page 251).
The company absorbs houseless males and unaligned
graduates of Melee-Magthere, making their services
available to the highest bidder—and sometimes to every
bidder. It’s not at all uncommon for Bregan D’aerthe
agents to be working on both sides of a struggle between
warring houses, but they never side against House Baenre.
Jarlaxle is smarter than that.
Bregan D’aerthe actively pursues contacts with
thieves’ and assassins’ guilds of the World Above, sometimes providing drow mercenaries to supplement their
operations.
The current master of Bregan D’aerthe is Jarlaxle’s
trusted lieutenant, Kimmuriel Oblodra, whose mastery
of the psionic arts makes him a cold and calculating killer,
and so a valuable asset to his clients.
The Seventh House
The youngest of the ruling houses by far, House
Melarn was formed from a union of Houses Horlbar
and Kenafin a decade after the end of Lolth’s Silence,
and named in honor of Lolth’s Lady Penitent, Halisstra Melarn. It has absorbed a trickle of survivors
from the original House Melarn, which fell in the
destruction of Ched Nasad, but the matron mother,
Zhindia Melarn, is the daughter of House Horlbar’s
Matron Mother Jerlys Horlbar.
House Vandree
The Eighth House
After killing her ineffectual mother Troken’ther in
1388 DR, Matron Mother Fiirnel’ther Vandree has
clawed her way from Seventeenth House, threatened by the more powerful Barrison Del’Armgo, to
a place on the Ruling Council. It’s possible that even
Fiirnel’ther doesn’t know how many drow she had to
kill to make that happen.
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NORTHDARK
Stretching from the Sword Coast in the west to the
edge of Netheril in the east, and from the Spine of
the World in the north to Baldur’s Gate in the south,
Northdark is among the Underdark’s longest settled
and most “civilized” regions.
Northdark Lore
successful Streetwise check.
DC 10: The largest and most dominant city in
Northdark is the drow metropolis of Menzoberranzan, seat of the worship of the Queen of the
Demonweb Pits. The drow share Northdark with
other Underdark races and are constantly at odds
with the dwarven halls of the Spine of the World.
Settlements and
Features
Cities, villages, and scattered clanholds abound in
Northdark, and miles of natural tunnels have been
mapped as caravan routes.
Ammarindar
Once connected to the World Above through the
lower reaches of Hellgate Keep, Ammarindar was
sealed off from the surface after a decade of infighting that followed the disappearance of the cambion
Kaanyr Vhok. Vhok’s Scoured Legion, an army of
tanarukks (demonic orcs), eventually came under the
control of one of their own, Warchief Ghaarzhvex.
The tanarukks of Ammarindar are led today by High
Warchief Ghiirvox. The tanarukks sometimes raid
their neighbors and other times hire out as mercenaries. The mysterious Bloodreaver Jervaan has brought
the fervent worship of Tempus’s exarch Garagos to
Ammarindar.
Araumycos
Without doubt the largest single life form on all of
Toril, Araumycos might also be the oldest. This massive fungal colony encompasses hundreds of square
miles of the Upperdark under the High Forest. It is a
haven for fungus creatures, especially myconids, who
hide amid its gray-white mass.
During the Spellplague, something happened to
Araumycos. Even before the disaster, rumors told
that the colony had already achieved a rudimentary
awareness. Those stories have now been confirmed.
Often referring to itself as King Araumycos, the sentient mass of fungal growth has brought thousands,
perhaps millions, of myconids under its domination. It sends tendrils and spores throughout the
Upperdark, forcing cities such as Menzoberranzan,
Ched Nasad, and Yathchol to guard many of their
approaches against fungal incursion.
Still its alien influence can be felt. Araumycos
assails any sentient creature within hundreds of
miles with strange nightmares—dreams of the
comfort of the mass will and the hopeless chaos of
individuality the drow call golhyrrl’ fhaazht (“the
Dream Trap”). Only the illithids seem utterly
immune to its influence. Countless drow, deep
gnomes, tanarukks, and others have succumbed to its
siren call, never to be seen again.
Blingdenstone
Abandoned by its original deep gnome population,
Blingdenstone has hosted everything from clouds
of sentient magical dust, to deep gnome wererats,
to any number of wandering monsters, to drow and
human scavengers in search of the treasures the
former burrow wardens left behind. For the past
four decades, though, led by Most Honored Burrow
Warden Kargien Dissengulp, the original inhabitants
of Blingdenstone have been moving back in, enjoying
support from surprising corners, including Silverymoon and Mithral Hall.
Ch’Chitl
CLANHOLD OF THE
GRIZZLEFANG TRIBE
Village; Population 275
The kobolds of the Grizzlefang Tribe are led by Chief
Gvurzz and his mate Klaah, who directs the tribe in worship to the archdevil Mammon. The tribe makes its home
in a series of caves, the ceilings of which are rarely more
than 5 feet high—comfortable for the kobolds, but confining for the larger races they’re smart enough to avoid.
Their caves are located roughly halfway between Eryndlyn and Araumycos, whose siren dream-calls constantly
trouble them.
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Small Town; Population 500
Once a reasonably civilized illithid settlement ruled
by an elder concord after the death of its elder brain,
Ch’Chitl was turned inside out in the Year of Blue
Fire. Now the cavern it resides in has become a
plaguecave of the most surreal kind. Three of the
elders were combined into a hideous, mutated beast
that became Ch’Chitl’s new elder brain. Its body
died, but its mind lived on in a pulsing mass of gray
matter traced with sizzling lines of blue fire.
The illithids of Ch’Chitl have become the
Mindplagued, spellscarred creatures capable of
extraordinary feats of psionic power, fueled by and
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N O R T H DA R K
intermingled with the inherent magical abilities of
their spellscars.
Ched Nasad
Destroyed in the chaos following Lolth’s Silence,
Ched Nasad has needed a century to reclaim its place
among the drow cities of Northdark. Many of the
city’s structures that once clustered on great thoroughfares of calcified webs remain in ruin. Faathryll
Teh’Kinrellz, Matron Mother of the First House of
Ched Nasad, is firmly in control of the city and its six
other new or restored houses. One concession they
have made is a continuing close association with the
Jaezred Chaulssin.
Gracklstugh
This large and well-defended Middledark city is
home to a huge population of duergar and their slaves
and allies. The city is nestled in a large cavern on the
edge of the Darklake. The duergar fish the Darklake
from their flat-bottomed boats but avoid the deeper
waters for fear of the many ferocious creatures that
call its depths home.
The city is defended by one of the largest and bestequipped armies in Northdark, but the soldiers have
dangerously little arcane and divine support.
The duergar king is young, having inherited the
post from his father in 1372 DR, but Horgar Steelshadow V is a capable warrior, if a bit slow to make
decisions and rather quick to lose his temper. Some
say the king is illiterate but manages to hide that fact.
Yathchol
Small Town; Population 1,000
Actually a cluster of nine separate thorps, the chitine
community of Yathchol is a Middledark house of horrors. These freakish spiderlike creatures, exiled from
failed experiments in Ched Nasad, have formed a
society of their own centered, like that of their former
mistresses, around the worship of Lolth.
The town’s population has doubled in the last
century, and its patrols range as far east as the Deep
Wastes and south to the edge of Old Shanatar. No one
is sure what evil the chitines are planning—perhaps
final revenge against Ched Nasad, but no one can
possibly predict the desires of these beings.
Gauntlgrym: This legendary home of the Delzoun
dwarves continues to obsess dwarves from all over the
North. Efforts to reclaim the place have failed, but the
stories of extraordinary treasures cached there continue to make it a popular tavern tale and the ultimate
prize for the greediest adventurers.
Skullport: Once a city of slavers, pirates, and
unscrupulous merchants, Skullport is now a ruined
city home to the absolute dregs of Northdark, from
houseless drow wretches to spellscarred kobolds
driven mad by a magic they can’t understand.
Human adventurers who have braved its rotting
streets and lived to tell the tale have describe it as
“like Luskan, but not as sunny.”
Spellcaves of Eryndlyn: Eryndlyn was once a
thriving drow city, but religious infighting and threats
from without left it nearly abandoned. An earth node
near the city absorbed the effects of the Spellplague
and has made the cavern the deepest plaguecave in
Northdark.
JAEZRED CHAULSSIN
This insidious band of half-shadow dragon drow assassins
took full advantage of Lolth’s Silence, working its shadowy
tentacles into much of Northdark. But with its defeat in
the Siege of Menzoberranzan, it was ultimately unable
to maintain control of the restoration of Ched Nasad.
The Jaezred Chaulssin has returned to the abandoned
city of Chaulssin, which exists half in and half out of the
Shadowfell. The assassins have become tense allies of the
Netherese, from whom they accept contracts, but they
have so far resisted being absorbed into the empire.
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OLD SHANATAR
A region of the Underdark once settled by glorious
dwarven kingdoms, Old Shanatar has become a place
of bizarre civilizations and dark rituals.
Old Shanatar Lore
DC 10: The ancient dwarven realm of Old Shanatar was once home to thousands of peaceful dwarves,
but only one of the eight great kingdoms stands today.
Settlements and
Features
Old Shanatar has more artificial spaces—mines,
cities, and impressive works of dwarven craftwork and architecture—than any other part of the
Underdark.
Guallidurth
One of the largest, and certainly the oldest, of the
southern drow cities, Guallidurth was a place where
the worship of Lolth was left to numerous competing
sects, and as many as two hundred noble houses vied
for power. But in the years since Lolth’s Silence, a new
order has come to Guallidurth.
The various temples were united under the snakeheaded scourge, Mistress Mother Fizzri Khaven-Ghell,
who systematically cleansed the warring houses
until only twenty-four remained, led by First House
Loor’Tchaan. This period of “transition” (no one now
dares call it a civil war) checked Guallidurth’s expansion for several decades, but in the past thirty years,
Guallidurthan patrols have begun to range farther
and farther from the confines of their city.
Iltkazar
Iltkazar is the last remaining dwarven enclave in Old
Shanatar. This impressive, multilevel underground
fortress city is a monument to the greatest dwarf
miners who ever lived. It is a place of towering statuary and sweeping staircases wide enough to march
an army down. The city is lit by silver-blue lichen that
lines the ceilings throughout.
What is most poignant about Iltkazar is how
empty it feels. Miles and miles of corridors stand in
silence, and the population has been reduced to a tiny
fraction of its ancient glory.
The kingdom is ruled by a silver dragon, King
Mith Barak, who came to power in 66 DR, then was
lost for a time when his astral form was captured by
234
Tiamat in 1367 DR. He was restored to life only two
years ago, having been a prisoner for a full century
while a string of regents ruled in his place and the
population of Iltkazar continued to shrink.
King Mith Barak has vowed to return Iltkazar and
all of Old Shanatar to its full glory, but he has a very
long road ahead of him.
Malydren
The top of the highest of the many stepped pyramids
that make up the sunken city of Malydren is 50 feet
below the still waters of the Lake of Radiant Mists.
The mystically lit architecture of the ixzans (a race of
intelligent rays), and the steam from their furnaces,
give the lake its name.
Hidden from the prying eyes of all but the most
adventurous explorers, Malydren is a city of wide
avenues. The ixzans enslave any sentient beings
that come near, granting them the ability to breathe
underwater as long as they serve with total devotion. Punishment takes only one form: drowning at a
depth of 150 feet or more.
Rringlor Noroth
The City of Soaring Shadows is the largest cloaker
community in the Upperdark. Separated into rigid
castes, the cloakers of Rringlor Noroth continue to
experiment with the idea of living together in something like a city.
What brought them together was the Shadowspan,
an enormous bridge built by a race that predated
the dwarves of Old Shanatar. One end of the bridge
begins in the middle of the Lake of Radiant Mists,
and the other emerges from a similar lake deep
inside the Shadowfell. In between, the span is collapsed and in need of repair.
From time to time, a mysterious creature known
only as the Emissary emerges from the Shadowfell.
It whispers alien wisdom into the ears of the dozen
cloaker lords who form the Shadoworb Conclave.
They have been laboring to repair the Shadowspan
PLAGUECAVE OAXAPTUPA
Very few know what this place once was. Rumors abound
of a once great civilization of insectoid creatures who
called this huge cavern home. All memory of these beings
was erased when the Year of Blue Fire brought Abeir
into conjunction with Toril. That civilization was either
destroyed or transported wholesale to Abeir.
Whatever became of that civilization, if it existed at all,
Oaxaptupa is now a massive plaguecave where the laws
of physics are ever-changing, and colossal insects—not the
least bit civilized—prey on anything that bleeds.
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O L D S H A N ATA R
for more than two centuries; when complete, it will
cross the entire distance between the lakes.
Sloopdilmonpolop
This was once a holy city of the kuo-toan deity Blibdoolpoolp, but the once-mighty shamans haven’t
heard from their god in a long while. Many of the
kuo-toas have turned to the worship of Ghaunadaur,
Bane or Istishia. Into this confusion came thousands
of kuo-toa refugees, fleeing the tyranny of the Abolethic Sovereignty.
Priest-King Ni-Gool-Veen Viboolkugoorg has fully
converted to the service of Ghaunadaur and ignores
all other faiths. He secretly wonders if he has chosen
the wrong side, though, and is as eager to be proven
wrong as right.
Tzaraz
Fully 20 miles below the surface, under what is
modern-day Darromar, lies an enormous hive of
beholders. Though the permanent population is
between 5,000 and 10,000, gatherings of beholder
clans can swell the population to almost 50,000
during breeding season, when chaos and violence
reigns.
Tzaraz is surrounded by huge expanses of faerzress,
and a particularly large earth node lies directly in the
center of the hive, from which young beholders draw
nourishment for the first decade of their lives.
The slaves that are dragged into this awful pit
lead the most miserable existences imaginable. The
beholders have no regard for life, and a hapless slave
is as likely to be used for vivisection as for hard labor.
The Fallen Tombs: When an earthquake struck
the Lowerdark under the ruins of the elven city of
Myth Rhynn, deep in the Wealdath, a section of
the city’s ancient tombs were pushed into the dark
reaches between the Middledark and the Lowerdark.
The tombs are said to still be intact, and still full of
the riches of the once-great city, but no one has yet
found them.
Rrinnoroth: Once a dwarven stronghold protecting the crucial water supply of the Lake of Radiant
Mists, Rrinnoroth long ago fell to ruin. Not long
afterward it became the abode of a particularly
unpleasant red dragon by the name of Charvekannathor the Scarlet.
“Char” has allied with tribes of thoqquas, trolls,
and various other lower denizens of the Middledark.
They serve as his guards, protecting the approaches
to Rrinnoroth from those who come in search of his
magnificent treasure hoard while the dragon is out
hunting in the skies above the Giant’s Plain.
Xenfyrth’s Abyss: This black pit, a hundred feet
in diameter, opens into the center of a long-abandoned dwarfhold. The surrounding structures appear
to have been blown out and away from it in a circle,
as though something huge dug up from below. The
abyss empties into a dark realm of bleak gray landscapes pelted by acidic rain. No one knows the name
of this forgotten plane, or the long-dead god that once
called it home.
This abyss is named for the wizard Xenfyrth, who
was the sole survivor of the adventuring party that
discovered the hole in 1418 DR.
THE UMBER HULKS
OF NEZCHENZÛR
Clanhold; Population 500
Though most umber hulks prefer the life of solitary
nomads, wandering the Underdark in search of prey, the
clanhold of Nezchenzûr, located about 120 miles northeast of Sloopdilmonpolop, is becoming an active, if rough
and dangerous, place for this misunderstood race to meet
and trade. Though not yet open to trade with any but
their fellow umber hulks, their merchants are growing in
sophistication every day.
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CHAPTER 7
Threats
7
Toril has
always been dangerous, and it has
become even more so with the changes wrought in
the past century. Monsters hunt its reaches, both
untamed or civilized, picking off the unwary and
threatening life as most people know it. Some of these
creatures alone would be enough to satisfy those
eager to face danger or thwart evil. But peril takes
many shapes in the world.
Many sentient beings across Toril harbor only
hatred for good folk. Goblins and more brutish
humanoids prey on and subjugate the defenseless.
Drow weave cruel webs deep in the earth, hoping to
bind all under Lolth’s yoke. The shades of Netheril
view the world as their rightful possession, but they
must contend for rulership with the serpentine
sarrukh and their yuan-ti progeny. Planar malignance
seeps into the world: demonic infestations, devilish
plots, and elemental savagery. Szass Tam yet reigns in
haunted Thay and aims for omnipotence, potentially
at every other being’s expense.
The creatures, organizations, and villains
presented in this chapter will help you to create a
game tailored to your preferences.
SWORDMAGE NPCS
Power Source: Arcane
Defenses +2 Will
Saving Throws +2
Action Point 1
Hit Points +8 per level + Constitution score
Weapon Proficiency Simple melee, military light blades,
military heavy blades, simple ranged
Armor Proficiency Cloth, leather
Trained Skills Arcana plus one other skill from the
swordmage class list: Athletics (Str), Diplomacy (Cha),
Endurance (Con), History (Int), Insight (Wis), and
Intimidate (Cha)
Class Features Swordbond, Swordmage Aegis
Implements Any light blades or heavy blades
236
You can apply the swordmage class from the FORGOTTEN
REALMS Player’s Guide as a template for NPCs, using the process for applying class templates described on page 182
of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The swordmage is an elite
soldier with the following abilities and characteristics.
CH A P T ER 7 | T hreats
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6/18/08 8:01:17 AM
CHURCH OF BANE
The Black Lord consolidated his power during the
Spellplague. His church, a well-honed weapon of conquest and tyranny, has grown more dangerous. Bane
wants all beings subjugated under his authority, and
his organization often works openly toward this end.
Church of Bane Lore
History DC 15: Fzoul Chembryl died defending
Zhentil Keep against the shades of Netheril. Despite
his failure, Bane then took Fzoul as an exarch. Since
that time, Fzoul’s followers have focused on maintaining Bane’s influence in the Moonsea region. At
Fzoul’s direction, they work against Netheril.
Religion DC 15: Bane suffered a setback when
the shades razed Zhentil Keep and the Citadel of the
Raven, annihilating the backbone of the Zhentarim.
But what he lost then, he has more than regained.
Not only did he assimilate the goblin deities under
his authority, but he also gained the worship of evil
dwarves through Abbathor. Thwarting Shar’s desire
to take over the sphere of revenge, Bane sheltered
and subjugated Hoar. He furthered his power by
taking Loviatar as a consort, uniting the two faiths.
Even great Tiamat now serves Bane.
Organization
Bane expects his followers to maintain order. All in
his church have a set place and path of advancement,
making unusual activities easier to detect.
Headquarters: House of the Black Lord, Mulmaster, Moonsea region (page 150).
Hierarchy: Bane’s authoritarian religion maintains a strict chain of command. His temples
resemble fortresses as much as houses of worship,
and each has a single leader, usually a powerful
priest, known as a preceptor. Preceptors report to
high preceptors, one in each nation, and they in turn
report to the grand preceptor, the Chosen Tyrant of
Bane in Mulmaster.
Members: The Church of Bane seeks out those
in power and guides them to the Black Lord’s path,
offering gifts and showing the value of authority.
Capable individuals with less influence still make
valuable agents or priests. Most prized are those who
turn from good to serve Bane. Vile initiation rites and
watchful eyes ensure such a devotee’s loyalty.
Fzoul Chembryl
FZOUL CHEMBRYL WAS ONCE THE CHOSEN TYRANT of
Bane, commander of the Zhentarim (page 282) and
238
the most feared individual in the Moonsea region.
In death he is greater still, risen to serve Bane as an
exarch. He now has many new followers, and some
of the Zhentarim still follow his word. His task is
to reclaim what he lost, opposing Netheril. Having
failed Bane once, Fzoul can’t afford to fall short again.
Fzoul Chembryl
Level 28 Elite Controller (Leader)
Medium immortal humanoid
XP 26,000
Initiative +21
Tyrant’s Eye (Psychic) aura 5; an enemy that starts its turn in the
aura takes 5 psychic damage.
HP 500; Bloodied 250; see also dark majesty
Resist 15 necrotic, 15 poison
Saving Throws +2 (+5 against fear and charm effects, and against
effects that immobilize, restrain, or slow)
Speed 6, fly 8
Action Point 1
m Scepter of the Chosen Tyrant (standard; at-will) ✦ Psychic,
Weapon
+33 vs. AC; 1d10 + 9 damage (crit 6d10 + 19), and the target
takes ongoing 10 psychic damage (save ends). Fzoul can’t be
disarmed of this weapon.
r Scepter of the Chosen Tyrant (standard; at-will) ✦ Force,
Psychic, Weapon
Ranged 5; +32 vs. AC; 1d10 + 9 force damage (crit 6d10 + 19),
and the target is pushed 1 square and takes ongoing 10 psychic
damage (save ends).
C Excoriating Decree (standard; encounter) ✦ Thunder
Close burst 10; targets enemies; +33 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 9
thunder damage, and the target is dazed until the end of Fzoul’s
next turn.
R Ruling Command (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Charm,
Psychic
Ranged 20; +34 vs. Will; 2d6 + 10 psychic damage, and the
target takes ongoing 5 psychic damage and is dominated (save
ends both, with a –2 penalty to the saving throw). Fzoul can
dominate only one creature at a time.
Judging Strike (minor; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅)
If Fzoul hits with his next Scepter of the Chosen Tyrant attack
(melee or ranged), the attack is treated as a critical hit.
C Restore the Faithful (standard; encounter) ✦ Healing
Close burst 10; Fzoul and each of his allies spends a healing
surge and regains one-quarter of maximum hit points (125 hp
for Fzoul).
Dark Majesty
Until bloodied, Fzoul gains a +4 bonus to all defenses against
opportunity attacks.
Alignment Evil
Languages All
Skills Arcana +23, Bluff +29, Diplomacy +29, History +23, Insight
+28, Intimidate +29, Religion +23
Str 26 (+22)
Dex 25 (+21)
Wis 28 (+23)
Con 21 (+19)
Int 18 (+18)
Cha 30 (+24)
Equipment Scepter of the Chosen Tyrant (see page 57)
Fzoul’s Tactics
Troops always accompany Fzoul, including his evervigilant bodyguard—a level 28 evil dread wraith.
Fzoul preaches the edicts of Bane in battle, speaking
an excoriating decree, then wades into melee. His scepter hurls bolts of force, and Fzoul can also use ruling
command to attack at range.
6/18/08 8:01:18 AM
Encounter Groups
WICKED AND MAJESTIC, BANELAR NAGAS have long
been allied with the Church of Bane.
Those faithful to the Black Lord enjoy the aid of a
faction within the Zhentarim. Loviatar’s worshipers
serve as a part of Bane’s hierarchy. Bane’s followers
now also include a huge number of goblins, as well as
evil and avaricious dwarves. Through Tiamat, numerous evil dragons serve Bane’s ends.
Banelar Naga Lore
successful Religion check.
DC 20: Many banelar nagas betrayed Bane, defecting to Cyric’s sect, when the god died during the Time
of Troubles. Bane was reborn, and he empowered
loyal banelars to find and destroy disloyal ones. Now,
almost every banelar is affiliated with Bane, even if it
does not directly serve Bane’s church.
Banelar Naga
Level 6 Encounter (XP 1,300)
✦ 1 hobgoblin Hand of Bane (level 8 elite soldier)
✦ 4 hobgoblin warriors (level 8 minion)
✦ 2 ogre skirmishers (level 8 skirmisher)
✦ 1 flameskull (level 8 artillery)
CHURCH OF BANE
Banelar Naga
Huge immortal magical beast (reptile)
XP 10,000
Initiative +10
HP 825; Bloodied 412; see also dark majesty
Regeneration 20
AC 36; Fortitude 38, Reflex 29, Will 34; see also baneful utterance
Resist 15 acid, 15 poison
Saving Throws +5 (+8 against fear and charm effects, and against
effects that immobilize, restrain, or slow)
Speed 6, swim 6
Action Points 2
m Sting (standard; at-will) ✦ Poison
Reach 2; +24 vs. AC; 2d6 + 10 damage, and the target takes
ongoing 10 poison damage (save ends).
R Forceful Word (minor; at-will) ✦ Charm, Psychic
Ranged 10; +22 vs. Reflex; 1d4 + 8 psychic damage, and the
target is pushed 1 square.
M Skewer (standard; at-will) ✦ Poison
The banelar naga makes two sting attacks. If both attacks hit
the same target, the target is also unconscious (save ends).
An unconscious target can’t save against the ongoing poison
damage until the unconscious condition ends.
R Banelar Arc (standard; at-will)
Ranged 10; +22 vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 8 psychic damage, and the
target is stunned (save ends). The arc attacks up to two secondary targets within 10 squares; +22 vs. Reflex; 1d4+8 psychic
damage, and the target is dazed (save ends).
R Baneful Utterance (immediate reaction, when damaged by an
attack; at-will) ✦ Charm
The banelar naga makes an attack against the attacker; ranged
10; +22 vs. Will; the target is dazed (save ends) and slides 3
squares.
Dark Majesty
Until bloodied, the banelar naga gains a +4 bonus to all
defenses against opportunity attacks.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common, Draconic, Supernal
Skills Arcana +19, Bluff +22, Insight +17, Intimidate +22
Str 30 (+19)
Dex 13 (+10)
Wis 16 (+12)
Con 21 (+14)
Int 21 (+14)
Cha 26 (+17)
ERIC DESCHAMPS
Banelar Naga Tactics
With haughty ferocity, a banelar faces its foes directly.
It speaks a forceful word to keep dangerous opponents
at bay while it stings and bites attackers, lashing out
with baneful utterance when an enemy lands a blow.
It is content to use banelar arc when foes are out of
reach.
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6/18/08 8:01:18 AM
Shar’s worshipers form a highly secretive network of
priests, mages, and warriors dedicated to darkness.
The church’s philosophy is one of nihilism, so life and
even existence are of little value. Thus, Shar’s agents
are very dangerous, willing for the faith’s sake to sacrifice themselves and any number of nonbelievers.
Church of Shar Lore
History DC 20: Worship of Shar has existed since
the earliest days, but in secret. During past times of
strife, such as the Time of Troubles and the Spellplague, the Dark Goddess moved openly against her
enemies and killed them. Shar’s faith has enjoyed a
revival since the rise of Netheril, and her hand in the
death of Mystra has only strengthened her influence.
Religion DC 15: Shar was once a being of darkness, created at the beginning of time. She and her
sister, Selûne, fashioned the universe in which Toril
exists. Since then, only strife has existed between Shar
and her lighter twin. Selûne desires unbridled creation and light, but Shar longs for a return to primeval
nonexistence. Toward this end, she works to eventually snuff out all other gods and to
subvert all creation.
Organization
The Church of Shar is actually a complex network
of independent cells and
hidden temples. Besides Netheril, few lands tolerate the open
veneration of the Mistress of the
Night. Shar’s faithful work in
the shadows to undermine
authority and to corrupt
the good.
Headquarters: Dome of Night,
Shade Enclave, Netheril (page
164).
Hierarchy: The church as
a whole has no one leader. The
most capable local priest, runs a
particular Sharran cell. Seeking higher station within
the church is forbidden, but
turnover among members,
usually through death, is
commonplace.
Novitiates in the church are
simply called “initiates.” Those
240
who make it through training call one another “dark
brother” or “dark sister” when appropriate. Leaders
take the title “dark father” or “dark mother.”
Members: Sharrans seek new members with zeal,
striving to make good works seem pointless and even
foolish. They uncover and use dark secrets to manipulate and harm others. Sharran plots bring sorrow
and hopelessness to potentially valuable followers,
then nurse dark emotions until their targets willingly
come to Shar. Most of Shar’s followers are normal
people who have surrendered to despair.
New recruits must prove their loyalty by performing evil acts, such as the sacrifice of a sentient being.
Accepted members must obey Shar’s will, as dispensed by superior clergy, without question.
Dark Moon Monks
OTHER FAITHS MAINTAIN KNIGHTLY ORDERS, but Shar’s
sect favors stealthy, terrifying assassins. These fanatics not only work for the church, they also police
Shar’s clergy and other followers.
Headquarters: Dark Moon Monastery, Purskul,
Amn.
Hierarchy: A monastery’s leader adds “abbot” or
“abbess” to the end of the parental title common for
Sharrans; for example, “dark mother abbess.”
Members: Dark Moon monks come from among
Shar’s faithful, but no ordained priest
can train in the order. The group
prefers those who also have a talent
for arcane or shadow powers. Most of the
order’s monks have also mastered a few
dark rituals.
When they are not within a Sharran
temple or monastery, these monks
keep secret shrines and training grounds
in remote areas. They also form sleeper
cells within settlements where Shar’s
worship is unwelcome, maintaining
hideouts for fellow Sharrans.
Dark Moon Monk
Tactics
Dark Moon monks begin a battle with
shadow tentacle to gain an advantage,
sustaining it each round and moving
it to strike at other targets. A
monk then takes the enemy
apart with unarmed strikes.
A Dark Moon monk can
spontaneously create a shadowy ghost shuriken to throw,
but reserves this attack for foes
who avoid melee.
JAMES ZHANG
CHURCH OF SHAR
6/18/08 8:01:20 AM
Level 6 Soldier
XP 250
Initiative +10
HP 68; Bloodied 34
Speed 7
m Unarmed Strike (standard; at-will)
R Ghost Shuriken (standard; at-will) ✦ Cold or Necrotic
Ranged 6/12; +10 vs. Reflex; 1d4 + 3 damage plus 1d4 necrotic
or cold damage (monk’s choice).
R Shadow Tentacle (standard; sustain minor [see text]; encounter)
✦ Conjuration, Necrotic
Ranged 10; the monk conjures a shadow tentacle in an unoccupied square within range, and the tentacle attacks adjacent
creatures on the monk’s turn: +10 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 3 necrotic
damage, and the target is grabbed (until escape). The tentacle
can grab only one target at a time, dealing 1d6 + 3 necrotic
damage to the grabbed foe each round the monk sustains the
grab. As a standard action, the monk can change the target and
can move the tentacle up to 5 squares.
M Gloom Fist (standard; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Necrotic
+12 vs. AC; 1d6 + 4 damage, and the target takes ongoing 5
necrotic damage and is dazed (save ends both).
M Dark Moon Strike (minor; encounter)
The next time the monk hits with a melee attack, the attack is
treated as a critical hit.
Alignment Evil
Languages ChondathanPG, Common
Skills Acrobatics +13, Athletics +12, Stealth +13
Str 18 (+7)
Dex 20 (+8)
Wis 14 (+5)
Con 12 (+4)
Int 10 (+3)
Cha 16 (+6)
Kir-Lanan
KIR-LANANS ARE MYSTERIOUS WINGED HUMANOIDS
that appeared after the deaths of a few evil gods
during the Time of Troubles. They now serve Shar.
Kir-Lanan Lore
Arcana DC 15: Kir-lanans live in communities
they call rookeries. Since Shar often requires them
to work with her other devotees, however, kir-lanans
can be found in Sharran enclaves across Faerûn.
Arcana DC 20: Kir-lanans have a caste-based culture. Members of the lowest caste are called wings.
Elite wings, called eyes, have powers that enable
them to serve as spies and killers. Through the highest caste, called voices, kir-lanans learn Shar’s will.
Religion DC 20: When they first appeared, kirlanans were outside divine influence and hated all
deities. However, they formed temporary alliances
with the servants of wicked divinities, mainly Shar.
Many kir-lanans liked Shar’s doctrine of ultimate dissolution. Over time, the race fell under Shar’s sway.
Kir-Lanan Tactics
Kir-lanans prefer to attack from the air or high ground,
from hiding if possible. A kir-lanan wing launches
enfeebling ray, then repeatedly swoops to attack.
Kir-Lanan Wing
Level 4 Skirmisher
Medium shadow humanoid
XP 175
Initiative +7
HP 52; Bloodied 26; see also necrotic healing
Vulnerable 5 radiant
Speed 5, fly 8; see also mobile melee attack
m Claw (standard; at-will) ✦ Necrotic
+10 vs. AC; 1d4 + 5 damage plus 1d4 necrotic damage.
M Mobile Melee Attack (standard; at-will) ✦ Necrotic
While flying, a kir-lanan wing can move up to half its speed and
make one melee basic attack at any point during that movement. The kir-lanan wing doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks
when moving away from the target of its attack.
R Enfeebling Ray (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Necrotic
Ranged 10; +8 vs. Reflex; 1d6 + 3 necrotic damage, and the
target takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends).
Combat Advantage
The kir-lanan wing deals an extra 1d6 damage on attacks
against any target it has combat advantage against.
Necrotic Healing (immediate reaction, when damaged by a
necrotic attack; encounter) ✦ Healing
The kir-lanan wing regains 13 hit points.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common, Kir-Lanan
Skills Stealth +10
Str 20 (+7)
Dex 16 (+5)
Wis 9 (+1)
Con 12 (+3)
Int 10 (+2)
Cha 12 (+3)
Voices
A kir-lanan voice is a controller (leader) of 6th level or
higher, focusing on Charisma rather than Strength.
It can recharge enfeebling ray on a 4 or higher. A voice
also has shadow devotion, word of loss, and shadow’s call.
These last three powers are described below. You can
use the information in Chapter 10 of the Dungeon
Master’s Guide to flesh out a kir-lanan voice.
Shadow Devotion aura 5; allies in the aura gain a +1 bonus to
attack rolls; shadow allies in the aura also gain a +2 bonus to
damage rolls.
R Word of Loss (standard; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Psychic
Ranged 10; [level +5] vs. Will; [low normal] psychic damage,
and the target is dazed until the end of the kir-lanan voice’s
next turn.
C Shadow’s Call (standard; encounter) ✦ Necrotic, Sleep
Close burst 3; [level +4] vs. Will; [low normal] necrotic damage,
and the target falls unconscious (save ends).
Encounter Groups
The Church of Shar has few allies. Sharrans can find
plentiful assistance in Netheril. Many evil creatures,
especially those of the Shadowfell, willingly serve
or work with Shar’s faithful. Disciples of Talona and
Sseth recognize Shar’s devotees as kindred spirits.
✦ 1 kir-lanan voice (level 7 controller [leader])
✦ 2 Dark Moon monks (level 6 soldier)
✦ 1 shadar-kai chainfighter (level 6 skirmisher)
✦ 2 kir-lanan wings (level 4 skirmisher)
CHURCH OF SHAR
Dark Moon Monk
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THE COURT OF RORN
Blazing Rorn the Fury, also called Rorn of the Rages,
is only dimly remembered as a name of terror in colorful Abeiran legends. A Dawn Titan (primordial),
Rorn was an unstoppable blaze of light brighter than
the sun when his wrath burned hottest. However, like
many Dawn Titans, Rorn grew weary of the war over
the world, and after Abeir was divided from Toril, he
grew quiescent and slept away the ages.
Now Rorn is rousing, though he is not yet fully
conscious. His followers, already awake, have begun
their master’s work, dealing with lesser enemies of
the Dawn Titans. Here and there, priests go missing,
as do lesser dragons. Holy sites and dragon hoards are
mysteriously destroyed. Dragon kings and the gods
themselves will fall before the fury of Rorn—when he
wakes.
Court of Rorn Lore
DC 25: Blazing Rorn the Fury was one of the
most notorious Dawn Titans. Rorn was known for
his rages, during which he slew gods, exarchs, and
fellow primordials with unmatched ferocity. Before
Ao twinned the world, Rorn was among the primordials that the gods most hated and feared. For his
part, Rorn returned violence with violence, anger
with rage, and insult with atrocity, a slave to his
inner fury.
DC 30: When his primordial nature was not
inflamed to starlike fury, Rorn knew prudence, tolerance, and compromise. In such moments of clarity,
Rorn declared his desire for peace with primordials
and gods alike. However, the Dawn Titan had killed
too many divine beings for the Estelar (gods) to forget
him. Rorn grew to hate the gods, whether he was
raging or resting.
DC 35: After Abeir was split off from Toril, Rorn
thought his rages were concluded. Then the dragons
rose up, claiming Abeir for their own. Rather than
wake his fury anew over the dragons’ betrayal, Rorn
chose to sequester himself and his servants, awaiting
a changed world. He and the creatures of his court
slept away the ages, hidden in the very roots of Fimbrul, in a deep stasis in which they neither aged nor
deteriorated.
DC 40: Rorn stirred in the tumult of the Blue
Breath of Change, when Abeir and Toril violently
reshaped each other in a chaos that killed many
primordials and countless lesser beings. For decades
he has reached toward mobility and consciousness, his dreams growing more troubled with each
242
passing year. Rorn’s courtiers are now conscious
beneath Fimbrul and preparing for their master’s full
awakening.
Organization
In the absence of their master’s direct command, the
Court of Rorn makes preparations to claim Returned
Abeir and, from there, the world.
Leader: Rorn. However, the great primordial still
drowses on the edge of wakefulness, communicating
fitfully with his court only through dreams.
Headquarters: The deepest caverns of Fimbrul
(page 208) in Returned Abeir.
Hierarchy: Rorn’s most powerful courtiers are
mordrins (earth giants and earth titans altered and
augmented by Rorn to be his champions). Strange
creatures preserved through the ages also reside with
the dreaming Dawn Titan: haraevors and felljaws
(primeval reptilian cave guardians), and tentacled
torments (the eyes, ears, and grasping fingers of the
hidden court).
Members: Below the immediate court is a growing
organization of servitor creatures, spies, informants,
cultists, and sellswords across Returned Abeir, many
not even aware of who ultimately pays them. Rorn’s
followers proceed without him, thinking to curry their
master’s favor when he does finally rouse.
The first order of business is dealing with the dragons who presume to rule Returned Abeir. The Court
of Rorn seeks to destroy or enslave at least the lesser
of these. Now that Abeir (or at least this part of it) is
again within reach of the hated Estelar, the gods too
must be confronted. So far the court has proceeded
cautiously, learning what gods have survived and
what new ones seek worshipers. By discovering the
gods’ powers, aims, and ideals, the Court of Rorn can
best plan their eventual destruction.
Blazing Rorn The Fury
RORN IS A GIGANTIC DRAGON-HEADED, tailed humanoid with skin the texture and color of cooling lava.
Rorn’s Tactics
Rorn begins a fight with his earth chains power, pulling enemies into range of his blazing aura and within
reach of his melee attacks. He uses a minor action
each round to repeat this attack as long as necessary
to keep enemies within range. Then he blasts them
with dominion of flames while they are stripped of
any fire resistance. With another minor action, he
lays about with his tail smash. He continues to attack
with claw and tail, using dominion of flames whenever
it is available, until he is bloodied. Once in his Gargantuan blazing star form, he uses blazing action to
destroy a badly damaged enemy after its turn ends.
6/18/08 8:01:20 AM
Level 33 Solo Primordial
Huge elemental humanoid (earth, fire)
XP 155,000
Initiative +23
Senses Perception +25; tremorsense 100
Blazing Aura (Fire) aura 10; creatures within the aura lose resistance to fire. Each creature that starts its turn in the aura is
pulled 2 squares at the start of its turn. While Rorn is bloodied,
each creature that starts its turn in the aura also takes 20 fire
damage.
HP 1,545; Bloodied 772; see also fury of burning stars and blazing
action
AC 50; Fortitude 51, Reflex 45, Will 48; see also volcanic reaction
Immune attacks by characters below level 20; fire
Saving Throws +5; whenever an attack applies an eff ect to Rorn
that a save can end, he makes an immediate saving throw. If
it succeeds, he is unaffected by the effect. Rorn makes saving
throws at the end of each of his turns as normal.
Speed 10, climb 10; earth walk; phasing (through earth or
lava only)
Action Points 2
m Claw (standard; at-will)
Reach 3; +38 vs. AC; 3d8 + 12 damage. While Rorn is bloodied,
the target also takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
M Tail Smash (minor; at-will)
Reach 4; +36 vs. Reflex; 2d10 + 12 damage, and the target is
knocked prone. While Rorn is bloodied, the target also takes
ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends).
R Earth Chains (minor; recharge ⚄ ⚅)
Ranged sight; +36 vs. Fortitude or Reflex; 2d6 + 13 damage,
and the target is pulled 10 squares. A flying creature hit by this
attack is slowed (save ends). While Rorn is bloodied, the target
also takes ongoing 5 fire damage (save ends both). Failed Save:
The creature can’t fly, and falls if it’s already flying (save ends).
C Dominion of Flames (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅ ) ✦ Fire
Close burst 20; +36 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 13 fire damage, and the
target takes ongoing 10 fire damage (save ends).
C Volcanic Retort (immediate reaction, when hit by an attack;
at-will) ✦ Fire
Close burst 2 (burst 5 while Rorn is bloodied); +36 vs. Reflex;
2d8 + 13 fire damage.
Threatening Reach
While bloodied, Rorn can make opportunity attacks against all
creatures within his reach (3 squares).
Fury of Burning Stars (when first bloodied; encounter)
Rorn changes to his blazing star form. His size increases to
Gargantuan, and he pushes creatures within his new space to
the nearest adjacent square. He takes an extra turn right after
the turn of the character who bloodied him, then resumes his
normal place in the initiative order. He remains in his blazing
star form until the end of the encounter.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages All; telepathy 100
Skills Diplomacy +31, Endurance +34, Insight +30, Intimidate
+31, Nature +30, Religion +31
Str 35 (+28)
Dex 24 (+23)
Wis 28 (+25)
Con 37 (+29)
Int 21 (+21)
Cha 30 (+26)
Felljaw
FELLJAWS ARE SLATE-GRAY, LIMBLESS, WINGLESS SERPENTS. Their heads are akin to those of dragons, and
their skin resembles interlocking slabs of stone.
Felljaw Lore
DC 25: A veteran explorer of the deep caverns
of Returned Abeir once called these creatures “the
ravening wolves of the Underdark,” which aptly
describes the ruthless pack behavior of felljaws.
DC 30: Felljaws are a type of dragonspawn,
savage monsters created from the unwholesome mingling of dragons and other creatures. Their lineage is
a mixture of dragon (perhaps black) and fire titan.
Felljaw
Level 25 Soldier
Large natural beast (reptile)
XP 7,000
Initiative +21
Resist 20 fire
Speed 8, climb 4
m Jagged Fangs (standard; at-will) ✦ Fire
+31 vs. AC; 1d10 + 10 damage, and the target takes ongoing
10 fire damage.
M Tug of War (standard; at-will)
The felljaw makes a basic attack. Another felljaw adjacent to
the target can make a basic attack against the same target as
an immediate reaction. If both attacks hit, the target takes an
extra 10 damage and is grabbed by both felljaws (until escape).
M Rending Fangs (minor; at-will) ✦ Fire
Grabbed target only; +30 vs. Fortitude; 2d10 + 10 damage, and
the target takes ongoing 10 fire damage.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages —
Str 30 (+22)
Dex 25 (+19)
Wis 14 (+14)
Con 26 (+20)
Int 2 (+8)
Cha 20 (+17)
T H E CO U RT O F R O R N
Blazing Rorn the Fury
Felljaw Tactics
Felljaws attack in groups of two or more, choosing
the largest and toughest opponent. The pack tries to
encircle the target, grabbing it with their slavering
jaws and trying to pull it apart. All the while, dripping magma scorches their prey.
Haraevor
A HARAEVOR RESEMBLES A 20-FOOT-LONG CROCODILE
with four identical necks and fanged heads, an upper
pair and a lower pair, growing out of its massive
shoulders.
Haraevor Lore
successful Nature check.
DC 30: Haraevors are a type of dragonspawn,
savage monsters created from the unwholesome mingling of dragons and other creatures. Their lineage is
a mixture of dragon (perhaps gray) and earth titan.
DC 35: In the banned tome Primordials and their
Servitors, printed by the Order of the Dawn cult,
haraevors are described as “sudden, crushing death
from earth.” This description hints at their ability to
strike at intruders through solid stone.
successful Nature check.
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Haraevor
Level 26 Elite Lurker
Large natural beast (reptile)
Initiative +24; see also four heads
XP 18,000
Senses Perception +14;
tremorsense 20
Vulnerable critical hits; see also four heads
Saving Throws +2
Speed 8, burrow 8
Action Point 1
m Bite (standard; at-will)
+31 vs. AC; 1d12 + 10 damage.
C Bite Flurry (standard; at-will)
Close blast 2; +30 vs. AC; 1d12 + 10 damage.
First Strike
A haraevor has combat advantage against any creature that has
not yet acted in an encounter.
Combat Advantage
The haraevor deals an extra 3d10 damage with attacks against
any target it has combat advantage against.
Four Heads
A haraevor rolls initiative four times (once for each head) and
uses the highest result. A haraevor loses a head whenever it
suffers a critical hit. If it is reduced to no heads, it instantly dies.
Heads never grow back.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages —
Str 30 (+23)
Dex 25 (+20)
Wis 14 (+15)
Con 26 (+21)
Int 2 (+9)
Cha 20 (+18)
Haraevor Tactics
Haraevors travel widely under cover of stone and
prefer to begin an attack by emerging suddenly from
the earth, thus gaining combat advantage. A haraevor
uses bite flurry as often as it can until bloodied, at
which point it begins to fight more stealthily, moving
in and out of stone. Once it has an advantageous
position, a haraevor uses its action point to repeat
the attack. Although not too bright, the creature has
enough sense to burrow to safety when its life is in
danger.
Mordrin
A MORDRIN IS A 30-FOOT-TALL CREATURE of rough,
crudely assembled stone, somewhat similar to an
earth titan but larger. A halo of swirling stones and
boulders constantly orbits it.
Mordrin Lore
successful Arcana check.
DC 35: Mordrins are the eldest of the earth titans,
the first to be formed in the shaping hands of primordials eager for servitors. They are always calm, even when
in pain or dying, and are unshakably loyal to Rorn.
Mordrin
Level 28 Elite Brute
Gargantuan elemental humanoid (earth, giant)
XP 26,000
Initiative +15
Senses Perception +17; tremorsense 20
Halo of Stone (Earth) aura 2; a creature that enters or begins its
turn in the aura takes 10 damage.
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6
Action Point 1
Reach 4; +31 vs. AC; 3d10 + 9 damage.
M Sweeping Fists (standard; at-will)
The mordrin makes a slam attack against two different targets
within reach.
A Hurl Stones (standard; at-will)
Area burst 1 within 20; +29 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 9 damage, and
the target is dazed (save ends).
C Earth Shock (standard; encounter)
Close burst 2; +30 vs. Fortitude; 3d10 + 9 damage, and the
target is stunned until the end of the mordrin’s next turn. Miss:
Half damage, and the target is not stunned.
Alignment Chaotic evil
Languages Giant, Primordial
Str 29 (+23)
Dex 12 (+15)
Wis 17 (+17)
Con 28 (+23)
Int 16 (+17)
Cha 19 (+18)
Mordrin Tactics
STEVE ELLIS
Like an earth titan, a mordrin hails rocks down
upon foes until they close to melee, at which point
it pounds them with its stony fists. When enough
enemies are nearby, it spends its action point to use
earth shock, stunning them so it can continue battering them with its halo of stone. Mordrins stand their
ground even when faced with a losing battle.
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T H E CO U RT O F R O R N
Tentacled
Torment
A TENTACLED TORMENT
IS A FLOATING BLACK
SPHERE some 10 feet in
diameter bristling with
black spines, around
which “swim” dozens
of eyes—drifting, twinkling points of light that
can cluster to stare at
something.
Tentacled
Torment Lore
A character knows the
following information
with a successful Arcana check.
DC 35: Ancient creatures of aberrant seed, tentacled torments were thought to have been wiped out
in the Dawn Era. However, Rorn kept a few hidden
away, and these have served him ever since.
DC 40: Tentacled torments have developed a
natural mind link with zairtails (page 280) and
sometimes use these creatures to spy on those who
train them.
Tentacled Torment
Level 29 Controller
JAMES ZHANG
Large aberrant magical beast
XP 15,000
Initiative +22
Speed 4, fly 8
m Tentacle (standard; at-will)
Reach 4; +32 vs. Reflex; 2d10 + 8 damage.
M Commanding Tentacle (standard; at-will) ✦ Charm, Psychic
Reach 4; +32 vs. Reflex; 2d10 + 11 psychic damage, and the
tentacled torment chooses one of the following secondary
attacks.
Secondary Attack: +33 vs. Will; the target moves its speed away
from the tentacled torment.
Secondary Attack: +33 vs. Will; the target makes a basic attack
against a creature of the tentacled torment’s choice as a free
action.
R Healing Tentacle (minor; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Healing
Ranged 4; the target heals 33 hit points.
Invisibility (minor; encounter) ✦ Illusion
The tentacled torment and up to two allies within 20 squares
become invisible until the end of its next turn.
Alignment Evil
Languages understands Primordial;
telepathy 20
Str 18 (+18)
Dex 27 (+22)
Wis 21 (+19)
Con 22 (+20)
Int 18 (+18)
Cha 32 (+25)
Tentacled Torment Tactics
If possible, a tentacled torment prefers to find a lone
individual and sneak up on it invisibly, then use commanding tentacle to direct the creature’s actions. It
causes the most dangerous melee combatants to flee
from it, while forcing ranged threats to attack their
own allies instead.
It prefers to work with allies, which can get into
advantageous positions while they are invisible, perhaps to steal an important item or document. It uses
healing tentacle as needed to keep its allies healthy. If
caught alone by a group of powerful foes, a tentacled
torment flees.
Encounter Groups
The courtiers of Rorn are mostly likely encountered
deep below Fimbrul, but as they grow bolder, a strike
group could appear nearly anywhere. One day soon,
Rorn himself will wake to a rage unparalleled.
✦ 2 felljaws (level 25 soldier)
✦ 1 haraevor (level 26 elite lurker)
✦ 1 mordrin (level 28 elite brute)
✦ 1 tentacled torment (level 29 controller)
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Some faiths hold that dragons are destined to rule the
world, but the Cult of the Dragon takes such beliefs to
an extreme: Only undead dragons are truly immortal
and deserve that role. The cult helps fate along by
influencing dragons to become dracoliches, which
the cult refers to as Sacred Ones. Cultists idolize dragons as nearly divine, and more than a few dragons
take up the cult’s offer of immortality.
Cult of the Dragon
Lore
History DC 30: Half a millennium has passed
since the Cult of the Dragon formed under the mad
archmage Sammaster. He gathered followers who
were drawn by his delusional visions that prophesied the eternal rule of Faerûn by undead
dragons. He then formulated a process to create
the first dracolich, which he recorded in his
work Tome of the Dragon. Sammaster is dead,
but his sinister legacy endures.
Streetwise DC 30: The Cult of the
Dragon needs exotic goods to perform its dark rituals, and that means
it needs money. Thus, it is as much
a criminal and trade organization as it is a magical
cabal. Some of its members are legitimate merchants
who use their money to fund cult projects. Others
engage in criminal activities, from peddling vice to
smuggling, blackmail, extortion, and kidnapping.
Some cells engage in open banditry and espionage.
Organization
Highly secretive, the Cult of the Dragon maintains a
loosely connected web of autonomous cells. Its beliefs
and methods are frowned upon in most civilized
areas. Therefore, the cult commonly uses fronts and
dupes to divert attention from its real goals.
Leader: The cult has no true leader, but a runescribed dracolich named Anabraxis the Black Talon
is revered as the group’s ultimate authority. Anabraxis
lairs in the bottomless chasm of Lorosfyr, in the Deep
Wastes of the Underdark (page 220).
Headquarters: The most well-known cult outpost
is Dragon House in Murghôm, which is really just a
branch operation of the Tower of the Talon (see page
155). It also has a stronghold at the Well of Dragons
(see below). The cult recruits dragonborn through its
Wyrm Academy, hidden in the ruins of Unthalass
within Tymanther. It also maintains Redhorn, a
major hold in the Dragonspine Mountains.
246
Hierarchy: Most cultists hold a position based
on their purpose and the goals of the individual cell.
Few refer to one another by any religious title. Some
cells confer no titles other than that which denotes a
leader to all cultists—Wearer of Purple.
Wearers of Purple, so named for their violet ceremonial robes, are leaders of cult cells. The smaller
a cell, the fewer Wearers of Purple it has. Some cells
have only one. Many such leaders are entrusted with
the secret of creating a dracolich. They control the
cell’s treasury, direct the collection of riches, and
create magic items, all with the goal of bribing dragons. If a cell shrinks too much, Wearers of Purple
coordinate recruiting. They also lead cells in battle
against their enemies.
Members: Despite its desire for secrecy, the Cult
of the Dragon always needs new members to carry
out its plans. It recruits most of these from relatives
and acquaintances of current members. It also quietly seeks out ideal prospects and patiently grooms
them for initiation.
The cult seeks capable individuals of all stripes
but prefers those with talent in the financial
sector. It holds in highest regard those who have
the power to master and perform the rituals
required to make a dracolich. It bribes such
potential Wearers of Purple with access to
the fabled works of Sammaster.
Plenty of cultists join the organization only for power and coin. Others are
just morally lax or enjoy macabre rituals. Members who see a dracolich or witness the creation of
one often become fanatical true believers.
The Well of Dragons
In the canyonlands near the Sunset Mountains, north
of the River Reaching, is an extinct volcano known
as the Well of Dragons. Legend holds that this was a
dragon graveyard—a place where old dragons go to
die. That story is true.
The Cult of the Dragon found the Well of Dragons
and freed its ancient guardian, an undead shadow
dragon. Despite resistance from many factions, the
cult built a fortress on the site, guarding the entrance
to subterranean hollows left by the volcano. Although
most old dragons now go elsewhere to breathe their
last, some still come to the Well of Dragons to bargain for immortality.
Within the citadel and its underground levels, the
cult has stored many treasures left by dying dragons.
It also maintains a vast room called the Chamber of
Ascension, where the ritual to transform a dragon
into a dracolich is performed. The Well of Dragons
is heavily guarded, since it suffers continual attacks
from fortune seekers, spies, and outraged dragons.
Prominent among the cult’s sentinels are Arsekaslyx
MIKE SCHLEY
CULT OF THE DRAGON
6/18/08 8:01:22 AM
Fettered Dracolich
THE CULT OF THE DRAGON REVERES DRAGONS and
customarily allows the dracoliches that it creates to
retain free will. Sometimes, though, it has need of
a dracolich that is subservient to the cult’s desires.
Such a creature can act as an agent of terror without
requiring a reward.
Fettered Dracolich
Large natural magical beast (dragon, undead)
XP 3,500
Initiative +10
HP 620; Bloodied 310; see also bloodied breath
Immune disease, fear, poison; Resist 20 necrotic; Vulnerable 10
radiant
Saving Throws +5
Speed 8, fly 10 (clumsy)
Action Points 2
Reach 2; +18 vs. AC; 2d6 + 6 damage. Against a stunned target,
this attack deals an extra 2d8 necrotic damage.
C Breath Weapon (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Necrotic
Close blast 10; +16 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 5 necrotic damage, and
the target is stunned until the end of the fettered dracolich’s
next turn. Miss: Half damage, and the target is not stunned.
Hit or Miss: The target loses any necrotic resistance it has (save
ends).
C Bloodied Breath (immediate reaction, when first bloodied;
encounter)
The fettered dracolich’s breath weapon recharges automatically, and the dracolich uses it immediately.
M Crazed Lashing (immediate reaction, when an enemy moves
into a position that flanks the fettered dracolich; at-will)
Reach 2; the fettered dracolich makes a tail slap attack against
the enemy; +18 vs. AC; 2d4 + 6 damage, and the target is
pushed 1 square.
C Frightful Presence (standard; encounter) ✦ Fear
Close burst 5; targets enemies; +15 vs. Will; the target is
stunned until the end of the fettered dracolich’s next turn.
Aftereffect: The target takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls until the
end of the encounter.
Languages understands Common
and Draconic
Skills Endurance +16
Str 22 (+12)
Dex 18 (+10)
Wis 9 (+5)
Con 20 (+11)
Int 9 (+5)
Cha 16 (+9)
Fettered Dracolich Lore
successful Religion check.
DC 25: Some cult cells have taken to capturing
young dragons and putting them through a modified
ritual of ascension. This ritual ties the dragon’s will
to whoever holds its phylactery, resulting in a fettered dracolich. A fettered dracolich can understand
Common and Draconic but is unable to speak.
DC 30: A fettered dracolich’s intellect and perception are diminished, but it retains a strong force
of personality that struggles to resurface. As a result,
its behavior is unpredictable and destructive. If
its phylactery is returned to it, a fettered dracolich
is released from its slavery. It becomes a standard
dracolich.
Fettered Dracolich Tactics
A fettered dracolich cows the weak-willed with its
frightful presence, then wades into combat, unleashing
its fury like a wild beast. It breathes a coruscating
blast of necrotic energy whenever it can affect more
than one enemy, otherwise lashing out with tooth
and claw.
If the dracolich regains its phylactery, it is a much
more calculating and dangerous foe. It is likely to
take revenge on the cultists who enslaved it, once it
has removed the most threatening opponents.
Encounter Groups
The cult enjoys a formidable alliance with draconic
beings. Although few cells actually center on a Sacred
One, repeated dealings with the cult might eventually
lead to a dracolich.
Some living dragons ally with the cult, interested
in its philosophy and power, and cultists who seek to
recruit living dragons willingly act as their agents.
Dragonborn are also common among cells, their militaristic ideals complementing the cult’s ideology.
The Cult of the Dragon has no end of undead
minions and allies, and some Wearers of Purple are
themselves sentient undead.
✦ 1 human mage death master (level 4 elite
controller)
✦ 1 skeleton (level 3 soldier)
✦ 1 young black dragon (level 4 solo lurker)
✦ 9 human rabble (level 2 minion)
C U LT O F T H E D R AG O N
(a female adult red dragon), Amnemis (a female
adult black dragon), and Enixtryx (a male adult black
dragon).
The lord of the Well of Dragons is the human
death knight Naergoth Bladelord. His equal, and the
ceremonial master of the Well of Dragons, is the lich
Vargo the Faceless. When he was human, Vargo used
a ritual to infuse himself with black dragon blood.
His resultant powers focus on acid, and the black
dragons of the Well are completely loyal to him.
247
6/18/08 8:01:22 AM
DROW
Ghaunadaur and other malevolent deities. She lost
the battle and was cast into the Abyss, where she took
the name Lolth, Queen of Spiders.
The drow of Faerûn are undisputed masters of the
Underdark as well a scourge of surface lands. Their
realms extend across the underworld, poking to the
surface here and there like deadly fungi. Over the
last century, they have been driven out of ancient
elven dominions, taken tremendous losses in Lolth’s
campaign against other drow deities, and suffered
setbacks in the wake of the Spellplague. But now,
united under Lolth’s authority, the drow are one of
the most potent threats in the world.
Drow Lore
Dungeoneering DC 20: The center of drow
power in Faerûn is the Underdark realm of Northdark, wherein lies the mighty city of Menzoberranzan
(page 228). Other major drow settlements exist there
as well, such as Ched Nasad.
History DC 15: The drow took advantage of the
Elven Retreat from the Forest of Cormanthor in the
middle of the last century. Several drow factions,
House Jaelre and the Auzkovyn clan chief among
them, invaded abandoned settlements and places
where resistance was weak. Jaelre drow settled in
old elven holds, while the Auzkovyns were content
to roam the woodlands. Ilsevele Miritar drove the
drow back into the Underdark when she retook Myth
Drannor, but they remain a problem in areas beneath
Myth Drannor and the Dalelands.
History DC 20: Millennia ago, the Ilythiiri elves
launched a war of conquest, battling other elven
nations in Faerûn. During these clashes, the Ilythiiri
called on the power of evil gods, including Ghaunadaur and Lolth. In the end, the Seldarine (the
elven gods) cursed the Ilythiiri and their elven allies,
making sunlight painful to them. Within months, the
dhaeraow (“traitors” in Elven) retreated to the Underdark in what was named the Descent.
Even after the Descent, the drow continued to
wage war to claim subterranean territory. In so doing,
they earned the enmity of dwarves and other underground races. Since then, drow have spread across
the Underdark, bringing war, oppression, and strife
to their neighbors and the surface world. They still
nurse a deep grudge against the Seldarine, whom
they believe cursed the drow because of jealousy of
their successful ancient campaigns.
Religion DC 20: Araushnee was once Corellon’s
consort, the Weaver of Destiny and patron to all
elves who shared her lovely dark features. But near
the beginning of recorded history, she betrayed the
Seldarine and attacked Arvandor with the aid of
248
Drow Culture
Drow live in an iniquitous society ruled by a matriarchal theocracy dedicated to Lolth. Priestesses of
Lolth hold the greatest authority. The female heads
of noble houses, called matron mothers or simply
matrons, also wield great influence, because each
noble house maintains its own military forces. Such a
noble is often a priestess of Lolth, but this isn’t always
the case.
Law
No law truly governs the drow. Those who have
power do as they will. A drow’s ability to act with
impunity is limited only by her ability to defy others
who might wish to stop her. The only authority that
drow are reluctant to cross is the Church of Lolth.
Even these priestesses must tread with care, though
they have the right to condemn whomever they
wish—harming another drow always carries the risk
of retribution.
Power
Drow society rewards passion and authority. The
ability to amass and retain personal power is the only
measure of any drow’s worth. Therefore, drow settlements are full of internal struggles for dominance
barely concealed under a veneer of normalcy.
Subjugation of the weak and deference to the
mighty are drow social norms. Slavery and abuse
are also traditions. Add to these an unhealthy mix of
black magic and evil religion, including blood sacrifice and trucking with fiends, and the result is an
unthinkably twisted culture.
Although drow do ally to aid one another in pursuing a common goal, none of them truly trust the
others. Requesting aid means being in another’s debt,
a potential difficulty in the future. But refusing to
help—or failing in the attempt—invites vengeance or
punishment.
Status
Advantages of birth aid some drow in their powerhungry society. Since drow society is matriarchal,
females have their gender as an edge over males.
Because having power makes it easier to obtain the
same, those born to higher station have a leg up on
their lowlier counterparts. But even the lowly struggle
for what power they can acquire.
Gender roles are a special issue among drow. No
male is allowed to be part of Lolth’s clergy, and males
are therefore shut out of the culture’s upper ranks.
6/18/08 8:01:22 AM
Level 13 Elite Brute
Large elemental humanoid (demon)
XP 1,600
Initiative +10
Resist variable 10 (MM 282)
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6, jump 5
Action Point 1
m Claws (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +16 vs. AC; 3d6 + 7 damage; see also quick bite.
M Quick Bite (free, when the draegloth hits with a claw attack;
at-will)
M Sweeping Claw (standard; at-will)
The draegloth makes a claw attack; on a hit, it can make
another claw attack against a diff erent target that is within
reach and adjacent to the first target.
R Darkfire (minor; encounter) ✦ Radiant
Ranged 10; +14 vs. Reflex; until the end of the draegloth’s next
turn, the target grants combat advantage to all attackers, and
the target cannot benefit from invisibility or concealment.
A Lolth’s Blight (standard; daily) ✦ Necrotic
Area burst 4 within 20; targets enemies; +14 vs. Will; 2d6 + 3
necrotic damage, and the target is dazed (save ends). Miss: Half
damage, and the target is not dazed.
C Cloud of Darkness (minor; encounter) ✦ Zone
Close burst 1; this power creates a zone of darkness that
remains in place until the end of the draegloth’s next turn. The
zone blocks line of sight for all creatures except the draegloth.
Any creature entirely within the area (except the draegloth) is
blinded.
Languages Abyssal, Elven
Skills Religion +12, Stealth +15
Str 24 (+13)
Dex 19 (+10)
Wis 10 (+6)
Con 18 (+10)
Int 12 (+7)
Cha 16 (+9)
D R OW
Draegloth
Draegloth Tactics
Further, females in a family have authority over male
relatives, as well as better opportunities than males.
Males gain power through accomplishments in military or magical fields, or by wooing and winning the
right female.
Luxury
Drow love comfort and indulge their desires
whenever they can. Debauchery and depravity are
widespread; common entertainments include blood
sports, the use of potent intoxicants, and the sacrifice
of sentient beings. Drow take what they want from
the weak, enslaving other creatures to avoid physical
labor, which is repugnant to them.
FR ANCIS TSAI
Draegloth
LOLTH’S CONNECTION TO DEMONS has long been an
influence on drow society. The drow exploit this
malevolent power to serve personal ends, using fiends
as shock troops, guardians, and gruesome pets. Draegloths are fiendish creatures born of drow priestesses.
A typical draegloth is a vicious combatant that loves
the thick of a bloody battle. It prefers to attack from
stealth, using cloud of darkness to cover its approach.
Staying in the midst of its foes, it lays about with its
claws and fangs. If pressed, it uses Lolth’s blight to
create an explosion of black, spider-shaped energy
motes centered on itself to punish any who dare to
assail it. It might take advantage of that power to
cover its retreat.
Draegloth Favored One
Level 16 Elite Controller
Large elemental humanoid (demon)
XP 2,800
Initiative +12
Resist variable 10 (MM 282)
Saving Throws +2
Speed 6, jump 5
Action Point 1
m Claw (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +22 vs. AC; 2d6 + 6 damage; see also quick bite.
r Castigation Beam (standard; at-will) ✦ Necrotic
Ranged 10; the draegloth favored one attacks two targets; +20
vs. Reflex; 2d6 + 4 necrotic damage, and the target is dazed
(save ends).
249
6/18/08 8:01:23 AM
M Quick Bite (free, when the draegloth favored one hits with a
claw attack; at-will)
Ranged 10; +20 vs. Reflex; until the end of the draegloth’s next
turn, the target grants combat advantage to all attackers, and
the target cannot benefit from invisibility or concealment.
A Lolth’s Blight (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Necrotic
necrotic damage, and the target is dazed (save ends). Miss: Half
damage, and the target is not dazed.
A Overshadow (standard; daily) ✦ Necrotic, Zone
Area burst 5 within 10; affects creatures without darkvision in
the area: +20 vs. Will; 1d4 + 8 necrotic damage, and the target
is blinded (save ends). This power creates a zone of darkness
that remains in place until the end of the favored one’s next
turn.
Skills Religion +14, Stealth +17
Str 22 (+14)
Dex 19 (+12)
Wis 26 (+16)
Con 18 (+12)
Int 12 (+9)
Cha 16 (+11)
Draegloth Favored One Tactics
Although she is more reserved than an ordinary
draegloth, a favored one doesn’t shy away from battle.
She likes to stay out of melee, behind ranks of drow
soldiers, and use her castigation beam and other
ranged powers rather than her claws. Lolth’s blight is
her opener, and she uses it whenever possible. Overshadow is a perfect mid-battle ploy to throw foes off
balance just when they think they have overcome
drow darkness.
Abyssal Fury
Some very powerful draegloths can tap into the
power of the Abyss to call up a reserve of demonic
rage. Such advanced draegloths have the abyssal fury
power, described below.
Abyssal Fury (immediate reaction, when first bloodied; encounter)
The draegloth spends a healing surge and regains one-quarter
of its maximum hit points. For the rest of the encounter, the
draegloth takes a –2 penalty to all defenses, and its claw attack
deals damage equal to its Strength modifier on a miss.
Favored ones rarely develop this ability—they prefer
dark magic to brute force.
Draegloth Lore
DC 15: Some among Lolth’s faithful, especially
newly ordained clergy, perform a ritual that enables
mating with a demon. On rare occasions Lolth blesses
the unholy union, and the priestess later gives birth
to a draegloth.
DC 20: Draegloths are the favored of Lolth, and
corrupt drow culture indulges their desires in every
way. Although they do not need to eat, they love feasting on the flesh of living victims.
250
A draegloth usually stays with its mother and follows her orders. Like its drow kin, however, it doesn’t
hesitate to execute a well-timed betrayal to avoid the
loss of its privileged position.
DC 25: Rarely, a female draegloth is born with
better mental faculties than others of its kind. Such a
“favored one” is groomed to become a priestess that
physically embodies Lolth’s ideals.
Bregan D’aerthe
Mercenaries unaffiliated with any house, yet powerful enough to enjoy prosperity and the indulgence of
matrons, the drow of Bregan D’aerthe hold a unique
position in the Underdark.
A character knows the following information with
a successful Streetwise check.
DC 30: Bregan D’aerthe mercenaries and assassins are a wild card in drow politics, seemingly an
untouchable class of sellswords. The group has outposts in Underdark settlements across northern and
western Faerûn. Its members have been found working for surface interests in western lands from Luruar
to Tethyr, and as far to the northeast as Impiltur.
Organization
Bregan D’aerthe originated in the city of Menzoberranzan. Its founder, Jarlaxle Baenre, has cunningly
spread his philosophy to other drow cities, and now
his society, which once had only a few hundred, has
more than a thousand members. Few drow care to
move against Bregan D’aerthe, because the organization has its uses—especially in gathering information
from the Underdark and the surface world.
Hiring Bregan D’aerthe mercenaries also has its
risks. As might be expected in a drow organization,
the contract goes to the highest bidder—often the
patron who offers the group the biggest advantage
when events sort themselves out. Bregan D’aerthe
forces have switched sides in the middle of more than
one battle, or played both sides, to the ruination of
those they have double-crossed.
Leader: Jarlaxle, ultimately, but his trusted lieutenant Kimmuriel Oblodra runs the organization
during Jarlaxle’s frequent and long absences.
Headquarters: Menzoberranzan.
Hierarchy: The most accomplished, charismatic,
and discerning resident member runs a particular
Bregan D’aerthe cell, although exceptions exist.
Members: Well-equipped and skilled drow from
fallen houses, including a few disenfranchised priestesses, form Bregan D’aerthe cadres dedicated to
professional soldiery and mutual protection. Bregan
D’aerthe is known to accept individual drow who are
skilled in any of a variety of combat methods. However, the group has no active recruiting effort.
6/18/08 8:01:23 AM
Jarlaxle Baenre
BREGAN D’A ERTHE SEES THE DEBONAIR JARLAXLE as
its ultimate inspiration. The drow himself is haughty
and brash, possessing talents that back up his willingness to brazenly flout drow traditions. Jarlaxle affects
a fun-loving demeanor, smiling and joking more
than any drow should. He dresses flamboyantly, even
wearing an unnecessary eye patch that he switches
from one eye to the other as it suits him.
A survivor, Jarlaxle always seems to be on the right
side of any arrangement, even when dealing with
Lolth’s church. He indulges in the pleasures of life whenever he can. Battle
doesn’t diminish his jovial manner, but
Jarlaxle is deadly and cruel to his enemies.
Even so, the drow does whatever is necessary to
ensure his continued existence.
only if he thinks the threat justifies the response.
Ever resourceful, he brings specialized magic items
(beyond those listed in his statistics block) on specific
missions.
D R OW
Jarlaxle and Bregan D’aerthe have contacts in
surface cities such as Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate,
Athkatla, and Darromar, as well as Mulmaster and
Lyrabar. A few underworld guilds even consider
Bregan D’aerthe an ally. Through this set of connections, Jarlaxle and his followers expand their
influence and grow ever richer.
Encounter Groups
Dark elves of Toril are rightly feared for the vicious
attacks they launch from the Underdark.
✦ 1 drow priest (level 15 controller [leader])
✦ 1 draegloth (level 13 elite brute)
✦ 1 drow arachnomancer (level 13 artillery [leader])
✦ 3 blade spiders (level 10 brute)
Tactics
Jarlaxle keeps mobile in combat, dancing around
adversaries and nimbly switching hands to lead with
one or the other of his fearsome blades. He stays at
close quarters with most enemies, using his ranged
attacks against elusive or formidable foes.
He uses his cape of the mountebank
JAMES ZHANG
Jarlaxle Baenre
Level 21 Elite Skirmisher
Medium fey humanoid
XP 6,400
Initiative +21
Saving Throws +2
Speed 8
Action Point 1
m Rapier (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+27 vs. AC; 1d8 + 14 damage (1d8 + 20 against a bloodied
target) (crit 5d6 + 22, or 5d6 + 27 against a bloodied target).
+26 vs. AC; 1d4 + 13 damage
r Thrown Dagger (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
M Ambidextrous Fencer (standard; at-will) ✦ Necrotic, Weapon
Jarlaxle makes one rapier attack and one dagger melee attack.
If both attacks hit the same target, that target is dazed until the
end of Jarlaxle’s next turn.
M Flashy Disarm (standard; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Weapon
+27 vs. Reflex; 3d8 + 14 damage, and the target drops one
weapon it is holding. It lands in a square of Jarlaxle’s choice up
to 6 squares away.
Ranged 10; +24 vs. Reflex; until the end of Jarlaxle’s next turn,
the target grants combat advantage to all attacks, and the
target cannot benefit from invisibility or concealment.
C Cloud of Darkness (minor; encounter)
Close burst 1; this power creates a zone of darkness that
remains in place until the end of Jarlaxle’s next turn. The zone
blocks line of sight for all creatures except Jarlaxle. Any creature entirely within the area (except Jarlaxle) is blinded.
C Cape of the Mountebank (immediate reaction, when hit by an
attack; daily) ✦ Teleportation
Jarlaxle teleports up to 5 squares, and until the end of his next
turn, he gains combat advantage against the attacker.
Jarlaxle takes half damage from that attack.
Whirling Evasion (immediate interrupt, when hit by a melee
attack; encounter)
Jarlaxle shifts up to 6 squares.
Alignment Evil
Skills Acrobatics +26, Athletics +18, Bluff +21, Diplomacy +21,
Intimidate +23, Insight +23, Stealth +21
Str 16 (+13)
Dex 28 (+19)
Wis 17 (+13)
Con 20 (+15)
Int 18 (+14)
Cha 23 (+16)
Equipment +4 cape of the mountebank, eye patch of discernment
(+5 Insight and Perception), handy holding hat (acts as a handy
haversack), rapier, 4 daggers
251
6/18/08 8:01:23 AM
The Eminence of Araunt is a far-flung kingdom of
the dead whose citizens across Returned Abeir (and
now, Faerûn) are linked not by geography, but by a
common ideal. The Eminence believes that every
royal crypt and every forgotten corner of the world
where undead yet serve masters long gone is actually
a principality of Araunt. Sometimes tomb robbers
notice the Eminence’s symbol (three vertical slashes)
and wonder what it signifies, but few ever discover
the truth.
Eminence of Araunt Lore
History DC 30: More than five hundred years
have elapsed since an undead creature named Lod
“founded” Araunt’s first principality in an Eskornar
dragon’s tomb. Lod, a bone naga, recorded a tract
on stone tablets called the Codex of Araunt in which
it prophesied the expansion of its kingdom over the
slow creep of centuries.
Arcana DC 35: Rituals inscribed in the Codex of
Araunt can link widely separated gravesites and mausoleums, creating a portal pathway invisible to those
not sworn to the cause. The Codex contains other
rituals to create undead from the spirits of dead warriors, to free a guardian undead of its binding, and to
empower undead with useful abilities. Unknown rituals are whispered to both grant boons to the undead
and lay blights on the living.
Streetwise DC 30: Guardian undead creatures
hold positions of authority in the Eminence of Araunt.
A direhelm or a doomsept almost certainly serves the
secret kingdom of the dead.
Streetwise DC 35: The Eminence of Araunt has
lately begun to co-opt living humanoids as agents of
its shadowy, landless kingdom. The Eminence uses
the still-living as spies, trade agents, and procurers of exotic goods required for rituals to link
more tombs.
Streetwise DC 40: The Eminence is
not friendly with other groups, cults,
or nations of undead. It was ascendant in Abeir but has made contact
during the last decade with
Faerûn. Now Araunt is aware
of such groups as the Twisted
Rune, the Cult of the Dragon,
and Thay. Since then, the secret
kingdom has begun a slow campaign to bring all of these, even
Thay, into Araunt. More than one
skirmish has already been fought.
252
Organization
The mysterious Eminence of Araunt exists through its
network of portal pathways, called deathways, hidden
to all but undead that have pledged themselves to
the kingdom. Few of the living are even aware of the
organization, though some who are pledged to Araunt
can be led through these portals. The Eminence
spreads invisibly like a disease through cemeteries
and tombs, then follows up with planned advances
and raids.
Leader: The Eminence believes that all members
are equals. But even among equals, some citizens
stand out, such as Lod himself, as well as Meremoth
(an undead lamia).
Headquarters: The Eminence hides in plain
sight, in the catacombs of Nornglast in Eskorn (see
page 206). Nornglast already possesses a reputation
for being “ruled by ghosts,” though those who speak
lightly of this possibility don’t know how right they
are.
Within Nornglast’s catacombs, Lod and Meremoth
hold court in a boneyard hundreds of feet wide, at the
crossroads of several dozen deathways.
Hierarchy: Despite the equality of members,
some within Araunt are clearly the servants of the
others. Direhelms are bound to the kingdom through
the ritual of their creation, and they are dedicated to
guarding its deathways and scattered principalities.
Members: Those true to the Eminence of Araunt
include most undead, especially direhelms and
doomsepts. Egotistical and strong-willed undead,
especially vampires and liches, rarely join or remain
in the Eminence. Those who do retain membership
generally seek to control the secret kingdom for their
own purposes, and when such activity is discovered,
it is culled.
Direhelm
DIREHELMS ARE UNDEAD GUARDIANS found in a
wide variety of empty, ruined places in Returned
Abeir. Resembling the floating upper half of an
empty suit of plate armor, a direhelm glides
about through the air, brandishing its weapons in
deadly silence.
Direhelm Lore
A character knows the following information with a successful Arcana check.
DC 30: Direhelms are created
through a ritual from the Codex of
Araunt, involving grave dirt from the
tombs of warriors fallen in battle.
Direhelms created with this ritual
are automatically bound to the
Eminence of Araunt and to the
goals of the secret kingdom.
FR ANCIS TSAI
EMINENCE OF ARAUNT
6/18/08 8:01:24 AM
EMINENCE OF ARAUNT
Direhelm
Level 15 Soldier
Medium shadow humanoid (undead)
XP 1,200
Initiative +14
Senses Perception +8; see also piercing vision
HP 148; Bloodied 74; see also grave strike
Immune disease, poison; Resist 15 necrotic; Vulnerable 10
radiant
Speed fly 6 (hover)
m Longsword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
C Grave Strike (standard; recharges when first bloodied) ✦
Necrotic, Weapon
Close burst 1; +22 vs. AC; 1d10 + 7 necrotic damage, and the
target is knocked prone.
Piercing Vision (minor; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅)
The direhelm gains truesight 10 and ignores concealment until
the end of its current turn.
Alignment Evil
Languages —
Str 25 (+14)
Dex 20 (+12)
Wis 13 (+8)
Con 20 (+12)
Int 9 (+6)
Cha 15 (+9)
Equipment 2 longswords
Direhelm Tactics
A direhelm fights in a straightforward manner. It
closes to melee range and uses grave strike as soon as
it is adjacent to several enemies. Then it strikes at the
nearest prone target, attacking until that enemy is
out of action before turning to another. It fights to the
death, using grave strike again once bloodied.
Doomsept
A DOOMSEPT IS A SPECTRAL, GLOWING UNDEAD BEING
composed of several spirits. It appears as a silent,
chillingly cold, translucent image of human warriors
holding wraithlike weapons in flickering, diverse
poses.
Doomsept Lore
DC 30: A doomsept is a sevenfold spirit, created
by one of the rituals in the Codex of Araunt. Each spirit
provides some small, unique ability to the overall
creature.
DC 35: Legends say that if the name of one or
more of its contributing spirits is called, a doomsept
ceases any activity. The named spirit rises to the
surface and answers questions as if affected by the
Speak with Dead ritual (the questioner must make an
Arcana check as though performing the ritual). Once
all questions are answered, the spirit sinks again
into the doomsept, which attacks its questioner with
redoubled fury.
RON LEMEN
Doomsept Tactics
A doomsept flits through enemies, striking and
moving through their forms, never staying in one
place. It uses manifold strike as soon as it has the
opportunity, adjusting its position for maximum benefit and flanking whenever possible.
Doomsept
Level 16 Skirmisher
Medium shadow humanoid (undead)
XP 1,400
Initiative +17
HP 108; Bloodied 54
Immune disease, poison; Resist 15 necrotic, insubstantial; Vulnerable 10 radiant
Speed fly 7 (hover); phasing
m Ephemeral Sword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
C Manifold Strike (standard; recharge ⚅) ✦ Weapon
Close burst 3; targets three enemies in area; +20 vs. AC; 1d10
+ 7 damage. The doomsept shifts 2 squares for each successful
attack.
Alignment Evil
Languages —
Str 22 (+14)
Dex 24 (+15)
Wis 14 (+10)
Con 18 (+12)
Int 12 (+9)
Cha 15 (+10)
Encounter Groups
A raiding party of the Eminence of Araunt includes
one or more intelligent undead leaders, supported by
direhelms or doomsepts. Occasionally a living commander leads a party.
✦ 2 direhelms (level 15 soldier)
✦ 1 doomsept (level 16 skirmisher)
✦ 1 human fighter death knight (level 17 elite
soldier)
25 3
6/18/08 8:01:24 AM
THE FIVE COMPANIES
The Skyships
A Five Companies skyship looks like an ordinary seagoing ship, fully rigged with three masts and sails. It
has two panels on each side that can be deployed for
steering and stability, as well as a broad beam that
allows it to land on a flat surface without listing.
Magic allows it to climb or descend in the air, but
it can sail the seas as well. In either mode, it relies
on the wind for forward speed. As long as its magic
remains, a skyship won’t fall from the air or sink.
The Companies
Descendants of those who made the Yaulazna Pact
almost a century ago run the Five Companies as
independent but allied groups. As the heirs of Halruaan magic, the mercenaries count a large number of
wizards in their membership. A hired skyship often
provides ranged support from the air or other magical services.
STEVE ELLIS
Great Halruaa has fallen, but its legacy lives on in
these five bands of roaming mercenaries, smugglers,
traders, and buccaneers. Each possesses a magical
vehicle known as a skyship. Tavern talk has it that
each company formed around a wizard who escaped
Halruaa.
History DC 30: The stories told by most are not
exactly true. Before the Year of Blue Fire, the lizardfolk of Rethild were given three skyships—one from
merchant houses in each of three Halruaan towns.
The lizard king, Ghassis, was supposed to use the vessels to harry the Crinti of Dambrath and pirates on
the Great Sea.
After the destruction of Halruaa, wizards fleeing
from Maeruhal, along with their few skyships, came
across the pirate base of Yaulazna. A renegade Halruaan mage had protected the buccaneer haven with
powerful magic, but the wards ran amok during the
Spellplague, shattering the town and turning part of
it into an earthmote. In a brief clash, the refugee Halruaans took the Yaulazna mote and made an accord
with the remaining pirates there. During the deal,
they learned of Ghassis’s skyships, which they then
wrested from the lizardfolk.
In the end, Yaulazna’s folk had five working skyships and a small, highly defensible settlement. They
made the Yaulazna Pact, an agreement to protect one
another. From their position, they set out to assure
their survival, and eventually the Five Companies
were born.
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6/18/08 8:01:25 AM
A PROMINENT HALFLING FAMILY, descended from the
infamous Pirate King Yargo of old Yaulazna, still
leads Company Yargo. The company takes all sorts of
work, and its members aren’t reluctant to spill blood
for the right price. Buccaneer’s Tear, the skyship captained by the brash Shil Yargo, has been implicated
in high seas and overland piracy.
Captain Shil Yargo
Company Bez
Arcane combat is the specialty of Company Bez.
Mariss Bez is the current captain of Storm of Vengeance, the company’s skyship, which is known for
blistering airborne assaults. The vessel has turned the
tide of more than one battle.
Company Errowd
Company Errowd is the most service-oriented of
the five. Its wizards perform rituals and offer other
magical services, especially in the areas of containment, smuggling, and fast transport. Shield of Savras is
the company’s skyship, is famed for showing up right
when needed or wanted. Its captain, Jorrz Errowd,
possesses great oracular power.
Company Flurrig
Although it engages in war for profit, Company Flurrig maintains a stricter contract policy than its fellows.
Captain Ianjo Shton, descendant of the Flurrig noble
line of Halruaa, prefers the moral high ground. That
doesn’t mean he and the crew of the Lamassu haven’t
been on the wrong side of the law, though.
B E N WO OT T E N
Company Tundag
Small natural humanoid, halfling
XP 1,200
Initiative +13
AC 27 (29 against opportunity attacks); Fortitude 23, Reflex 26,
Will 23
Saving Throws +2 (+7 against fear effects)
Speed 6; see also deck dash
Action Point 1
+16 vs. AC; 1d4 + 8 damage (crit 2d6 + 12, or 2d8 + 12 if Shil
has combat advantage against the target).
r Dagger (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
M Deep Stab (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+16 vs. AC; 2d4 + 8 damage, and the target is dazed until the
end of Shil’s next turn.
M Whirling Slices (standard; encounter) ✦ Weapon
Shil makes three melee basic attacks. She can shift 1 square
before or after each attack.
M Thigh Cutter (standard; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Weapon
Shil makes two basic melee attacks. If either hits, the target
is also slowed (save ends); if both hit the same target, it is also
knocked prone. Shil can shift 1 square before or after each
attack.
Deck Dash (minor; encounter)
Shil shifts 3 squares.
Combat Advantage
Shil deals an extra 2d8 damage on melee attacks against any
target she has combat advantage against.
Second Chance (immediate interrupt, when hit by an attack;
encounter)
Shil forces the attacker to reroll the attack and take the new
result.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages Common, Halruaan
Skills Athletics +13, Bluff +15, Insight +11, Stealth +16, Thievery
+18
Str 13 (+6)
Dex 22 (+11)
Wis 12 (+6)
Con 16 (+8)
Int 10 (+5)
Cha 20 (+10)
Equipment leather armor, 2 daggers
T H E F I V E CO M PA N I E S
Company Yargo
Tactics
Wielding two long, thin knives, Shil fearlessly rushes
into combat. She relies on getting into advantageous
position, and uses deep stab to keep that edge. Shil
would rather die or scuttle her ship than let it fall into
anyone else’s hands.
The best soldiers of the Five Companies belong to
Company Tundag, a mixture of dwarves and humans
who originally came up with the idea of the mercenary outfit. Tundag’s ship, Thunder Hammer, flies
under the command of the dwarf Kurkar Randred.
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6/18/08 8:01:26 AM
Yaulazna
Mote of the Five
Floating Fortress, Population 400
Yaulazna is a stronghold and trade center carved into
the seashore rock of its highly magical earthmote,
originally part of the coast of Halruaa. A citadel made
up of five towers and a central keep rises from the village’s central square—one tower for each of the Five
Companies, the central keep for House Jordain (see
below). The settlement also contains storehouses and
merchant holds, as well as housing for the citizens.
Old sea caves and excavated pirate hideouts honeycomb the mote.
Government: Ruling Yaulazna is a body known
as the Pact Council, formed of ranking members of
each company, representatives from the village merchants, and a single member of House Jordain. All
council business is conducted in the Halruaan language, which is largely dead outside this enclave.
Defense: Yaulazna’s best defense is its mobility.
The whole mote floats slowly in whatever direction
the Pact Council selects. In emergencies, the mote
can temporarily cross into the Astral Sea.
Trade: Yaulazna operates separately from the Five
Companies. The town staunchly maintains itself as
neutral ground and a center for trade, welcoming
all who respect its tenets. It even operates transports
to and from the ground when it’s open for commerce. The Mote of the Five is usually a welcome
site in Faerûnian nations, although it respects closed
borders and stays far from hostile territory, such as
Netheril and Thay.
House Jordain
THIS GROUP OCCUPIES THE CENTER of the wheelshaped fortress that dominates Yaulazna. Members
of the house are uninterested in Five Companies
business. They live to ensure the security of Yaulazna,
and the Jordaini member of the Pact Council only
guides discussion and never votes except to break ties.
Jordaini enforcers, experts in hand-to-hand
combat and defensive techniques, police the Mote of
the Five. They are highly skilled at observation and
memory, and they have a supernatural ability to redirect attacks aimed at them. They execute the will of
the Pact Council against foes of Yaulazna and impose
the rule of law even on the Five Companies.
Jordaini Enforcer Tactics
A Jordaini enforcer’s skills are not only useful in
negotiation but also allow him or her to anticipate
enemy moves and create opportunities in combat.
Before and even during a fight, an enforcer offers
enemies the chance to surrender and attempts to take
256
foes out of action with dazing effects. Nevertheless,
an enforcer is not reluctant to use force and punctuates the point with exploit opening whenever possible.
Jordaini Enforcer
Level 7 Elite Soldier
XP 600
Initiative +10
HP 164; Bloodied 82
AC 24; Fortitude 19, Reflex 20, Will 20; see also redirect attack
and reflective evasion
Saving Throws +2
Speed 7
Action Point 1
m Unarmed Strike (standard; at-will)
+12 vs. AC; 1d8 + 5 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square.
M Dizzying Blows (standard; at-will)
The Jordaini enforcer makes two basic melee attacks. If both
hit the same target, that target is also dazed (save ends).
Battle Scrutiny (minor; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅)
The Jordaini enforcer gains a +2 bonus to all defenses and to
Perception checks until the end of his or her next turn.
M Exploit Opening (standard; recharges after the enforcer uses
battle scrutiny) ✦ Weapon
+12 vs. AC; 1d8 +5 damage, and the target is knocked prone.
Redirect Attack (immediate reaction, when missed by a melee or
ranged attack; recharges when the enforcer moves)
The Jordaini enforcer redirects the attack to an adjacent enemy
other than the enemy who made the attack (if missed by a
melee attack) or to an enemy within 3 squares (if missed by a
ranged attack). The creature whose attack triggered this power
makes another attack roll using the same attack to determine
the success of the redirected attack.
Combat Advantage
The Jordaini enforcer deals an extra 1d6 damage on melee
attacks against any target he or she has combat advantage
against.
Reflective Evasion
When an area or close attack would deal half damage on a
miss, it deals no damage to a Jordaini enforcer if it misses. In
addition, the attacker takes 5 damage of the same type the
attack deals.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages Common, Draconic,
Halruaan
Skills Acrobatics +13, Athletics+9, Insight +13
Str 13 (+4)
Dex 21 (+8)
Wis 20 (+8)
Con 18 (+7)
Int 14 (+5)
Cha 16 (+6)
Encounter Groups
Jordaini patrols are common within the halls of the
Pact Council’s citadel.
✦ 1 Jordaini enforcer (level 7 elite soldier)
✦ 1 human mage (advanced; level 6 controller)
✦ 1 halfling prowler (level 6 lurker)
✦ 5 human lackeys (level 7 minion)
6/18/08 8:01:27 AM
Plaguechanged Gibberling Bunch
GIBBERLINGS FORM RAVENOUS, screeching hordes that
overrun the Underdark.
Gibberling Lore
successful Dungeoneering check.
DC 10: Gibberlings are darkness-loving creatures
that hibernate beneath the earth. When they awaken,
they gather and hunt in huge packs.
DC 15: Outside the Underdark, gibberlings
burrow into the soil during daylight hours. The
creatures are vulnerable during this time, but they
awaken if attacked or as soon as dusk comes. When
roused, they emerge in unison and continue their
rampage, moving slowly if in daylight.
DC 20: Plaguechanged gibberlings have no affinity for their mundane kin, devouring them as readily
as any other prey.
Gibberling Bunch
Level 1 Brute
Medium natural humanoid (swarm)
XP 100
Initiative +2
Gibbering aura 10; enemies in the aura take a –1 penalty to
all defenses. Gibberlings can’t surprise creatures that aren’t
deafened.
Swarm Attack aura 1; a gibberling bunch makes a basic attack
as a free action against each enemy that begins its turn in the
aura.
HP 32; Bloodied 16
AC 13; Fortitude 13; Reflex 15; Will 11
Immune charm, fear
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable
+5 damage from close and area attacks
Speed 6 (If a gibberling bunch takes radiant damage, it is slowed
until the end of the attacker’s next turn; if it takes fire damage,
it is immobilized until the end of the attacker’s next turn.)
m Swarming Bite (standard; at-will)
+4 vs. AC; 3d4 + 2 damage. If a bunch reduces the damage
from this attack by 2d4, its target is also knocked prone.
M Pull Down (standard; at-will)
+4 vs. Fortitude; 1d4 + 1 damage, and the target is knocked
prone.
Stay Down
A bunch can make opportunity attacks against adjacent targets
that stand from prone.
Bone Stripping
A bunch deals an extra 2d4 damage against prone targets.
Languages —
Str 10 (+0)
Dex 14 (+2)
Wis 7 (–2)
Con 12 (+1)
Int 5 (–3)
Cha 2 (–4)
Level 6 Brute
Medium natural humanoid (swarm)
XP 200
Initiative +7
Gibbering aura 10; enemies in the aura take a –2 penalty to
all defenses. Gibberlings can’t surprise creatures that aren’t
deafened.
Swarm Attack aura 1; a plaguechanged gibberling bunch makes a
basic attack as a free action against each enemy that begins its
turn in the aura.
HP 87; Bloodied 43; see also bluefire burst
AC 19; Fortitude 18; Reflex 19; Will 15
Immune bluefire burst (see below), charm, fear
Resist half damage from melee and ranged attacks; Vulnerable
+5 damage from close and area attacks
Speed 6 (If a plaguechanged gibberling bunch is exposed to sunlight, it is slowed until the end of the attacker’s next turn.)
m Swarming Bite (standard; at-will) ✦ Force
+9 vs. AC; 4d4 + 4 damage. Critical Hit: The target takes an
extra 1d6 force damage (save ends).
M Pull Down (standard; at-will)
+9 vs. Fortitude; 1d4 + 1 damage, and the target is knocked
prone.
Stay Down
A bunch can make opportunity attacks against adjacent targets
that stand from prone.
Bone Stripping
A bunch deals an extra 2d4 damage against prone targets.
C Bluefire Burst (immediate reaction, when first bloodied;
encounter)
Close burst 2; +6 vs. Reflex; 1d4 + 3 force damage, and the
target is slowed (save ends).
Languages —
Str 12 (+4)
Dex 18 (+7)
Wis 10 (+3)
Con 17 (+6)
Int 8 (+2)
Cha 2 (–1)
GIBBERLING
GIBBERLING
Encounter Groups
Ordinary gibberlings associate only with their own
kind. Plaguechanged gibberlings are sometimes
found in the company of members of the Order of
Blue Fire.
MARK TEDIN
Gibberling Tactics
Gibberlings simply press forward, attacking anything
in their path. Plaguechanged gibberlings become
even more dangerous when bloodied, exploding with
a bluefire burst that impedes the escape of prey.
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Luthvaerynn
MALAUGRYM
MALAUGRYMS ARE EGOMANIACAL AND DEPRAVED
shapechangers that love to toy with, mock, and prey
on sentient beings. In its natural form, a malaugrym
is a fleshy sphere with three eyes, three hooked
tentacles, and a beak.
Each malaugrym is a distinct elite monster, usually of paragon tier or higher. It can have any role but
favors artillery, controller, or skirmisher.
Arathluth
Arathluth haunts the Sword Coast under a variety of
aliases, posing as a merchant or a hired killer. It takes
many forms, almost all of them male humanoids.
Arathluth maintains contacts in criminal organizations from Zassespur to Waterdeep.
Arathluth
Medium aberrant magical beast (shapechanger)
XP 2,800
Initiative +17
Regeneration 10 (if Arathluth takes damage from a silvered
weapon, its regeneration doesn’t function on its next turn.)
AC 32 (34 against opportunity attacks); Fortitude 29, Reflex 32,
Will 29
Immune poison
Saving Throws +2
Speed 2 (clumsy), legged form 6; fly 6 (hover)
Action Point 1
M Lurching Lashes (standard; at-will)
Arathluth makes two basic melee attacks. If an attack hits,
the target also slides 2 squares. Arathluth can move 3 squares
before or after each attack.
M Mangle (standard; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅)
Arathluth makes two basic melee attacks against the same
target. If both hit, it makes a secondary attack against that
target. Secondary Attack: 1d8 + 7 damage (no attack roll
needed).
Combat Advantage
Arathluth deals an extra 2d6 damage on melee attacks against
any target it has combat advantage against.
Change Shape (minor; at-will) ✦ Polymorph
Arathluth can alter its physical form to appear as any Small,
Medium, or Large creature (see Change Shape, MM 280).
Languages ChondathanPG, Common,
Deep Speech
Skills Acrobatics +20, Bluff +18, Insight +14, Intimidate +18,
Stealth +20
Str 11 (+8)
Dex 25 (+15)
Wis 12 (+9)
Con 20 (+13)
Int 19 (+12)
Cha 21 (+13)
Arathluth’s Tactics
Arathluth prefers to appear humanoid until it can
dishearten its enemies by unexpectedly flying or
changing shape. Then it lays about with its lashing
tentacles.
258
Operating out of Telflamm in the Dragon Coast,
Luthvaerynn is a greedy malaugrym that runs businesses both legitimate and illicit. It prefers female
humanoid forms, and in one of its humanoid forms it
has a position on the city’s Merchants’ Council.
Luthvaerynn
Level 15 Elite Artillery
Medium aberrant magical beast (shapechanger)
XP 2,400
Initiative +13
Regeneration 10 (If Luthvaerynn takes damage from a silvered
weapon, its regeneration doesn’t function on its next turn.)
Immune poison
Saving Throws +2
Speed 2 (clumsy), legged form 6; fly 6 (hover)
Action Point 1
A Nightmare Slumber (standard; encounter) ✦ Charm, Psychic
psychic damage, and the target is dazed (save ends). First Failed
Save: The target is unconscious (save ends). Aftereffect: The
target is dazed (save ends).
R Sapping Ray (standard; at-will) ✦ Psychic
Ranged 10; Luthvaerynn makes two attacks; +18 vs. Will; 1d8
+ 7 psychic damage, and the target is weakened (save ends).
R Pain Ray (standard; recharge ⚃ ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Necrotic
Ranged 20; +18 vs. Will; 3d8 + 7 necrotic damage, and the
target gains vulnerable 10 psychic (save ends). The target
cannot attempt a save against this effect while within 10
squares of Luthvaerynn.
M Mangle (standard; recharge ⚅)
Luthvaerynn makes two basic melee attacks against the
same target. If both hit, it makes a secondary attack against
that target. Secondary Attack: 1d8 + 4 damage (no attack roll
needed).
Change Shape (minor; at-will) ✦ Polymorph
Luthvaerynn can alter its physical form to appear as any Small,
Medium, or Large creature (see Change Shape, MM 280).
Languages Abyssal, ChondathanPG,
Common, Deep Speech
Skills Arcana +17, Bluff +19, Diplomacy +19, Insight +13
Str 12 (+8)
Dex 18 (+11)
Wis 12 (+8)
Con 20 (+12)
Int 21 (+12)
Cha 25 (+14)
Luthvaerynn’s Tactics
Luthvaerynn prefers to stay behind a wall of lackeys,
readily abandoning them if the fight goes badly. From
its defended position it launches various attacks that
glow with violet energy, starting with nightmare slumber to put down foes. Luthvaerynn follows up with
pain ray and sapping ray against melee threats.
Malaugrym Lore
Arcana DC 15: A malaugrym can mimic the
shape of a wide variety of creatures, but at least part
of the new seeming is illusory, because the creature’s
6/18/08 8:01:28 AM
M A U LG R Y M
capabilities don’t change. In its natural form, a malaugrym has three clawed tentacles and a beak, but it
can use magic weapons while in alternate form. In all
forms it has distinctive golden eyes.
Arcana DC 20: Although the creatures are genderless, a particular malaugrym favors certain forms
and maintains a single personality, often choosing an
apparent gender. Malaugryms never die of old age—
not because they are immortal, but because younger
malaugryms destroy older ones to take their power.
Arcana DC 25: Malaugryms use the term “Shadowmaster” to refer to the most powerful among them.
The creatures as a whole are sometimes referred
to as shadowmasters. Ironically, many evil forces
of Shadow, such as the shades of Netheril, consider
malaugryms to be enemies.
Arcana DC 30: Malaugryms live in and travel
from the Shadowfell, but that dark place isn’t their
original home. They hail from a dimension beyond
the known worlds. With the reshaping of the planes,
malaugryms have been cut off from their home plane
and have little chance of conquering Toril as
they once intended. Their numbers, always
small, are dwindling further, so they
seek a way to reconnect with their
origin.
History DC 20: The malaugryms appeared in
Faerûn more than a thousand years ago, making an
enemy of the young Elminster.
History DC 30: Legends suggest that malaugryms are descendants of the wizard Malaug.
Supposedly the first human to enter the Plane of
Shadow (now part of the Shadowfell), Malaug was
never heard from again.
Encounter Groups
A malaugrym rarely reveals its true nature but manipulates others to enact its insidious plans. It revels in
duping do-gooders into foul deeds, even though evil
creatures are easier to fool. Treachery comes naturally
to a malaugrym, however, and the creature betrays
its followers and comrades capriciously. Thus, malaugryms work poorly with each other.
✦ Luthvaerynn
(level 15 elite controller)
✦ 1 war troll (level 14 soldier)
✦ 2 grimlock berserkers
(level 13 brute)
✦ 3 grimlock minions
(level 14 minion)
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NETHERIL
Once-fallen Netheril stands again astride northern
Faerûn. Peopled mostly by humans, this mighty and
arrogant empire threatens every neighboring land
with subjugation. If it succeeds in its tyrannical aims,
its expansion won’t end there.
Shade Lore
DC 15: Most ordinary Netherese are humans,
but the mightiest of Netheril’s defenders are shades.
They are dangerous and extremely capable agents of
the empire, but individuals might pursue personal
agendas, depending on their status with imperial
commanders and rulers.
DC 20: Many shades came along with Shade
Enclave when that city returned from the Shadowfell. Others arose when they bargained for or were
granted the essence of shadow.
Princes of Shade
Born before the destruction of ancient Netheril,
mighty Netherese arcanists called the Twelve Princes
of Shade rule their nation. Thoroughly evil, they seek
to broaden the empire’s power by any means necessary. They are quite capable of mass destruction and
genocide but prefer subversion over outright conquest, leaving the target’s infrastructure intact.
Each prince is an epic elite shade controller with
unique talents. All have some skill in arcane or
shadow techniques. A few specialize in martial or
divine powers.
Telamont Tanthul
Telamont is the Most High of the Princes of Shade
and father of the others. More than two thousand
years old, he has the calm certainty of one who is
nearly immortal. His citizens see High Prince Telamont as the embodiment of Netherese ideals, and he
too believes that only he can revitalize and expand
the empire. These ideas are expressed by his extravagant imperial garb—a black mantle of stylized dragon
wings, similar black bracers, and flowing violet robes.
The High Prince venerates ancient Netheril’s
traditions but also established new ones to survive
centuries in Shadow. All are still prominent in regimented Netherese society.
Prince Rivalen Tanthul
High priest of Shar in all of Netheril, Rivalen is the
goddess’s most powerful devotee in the world, comparable to the exarchs of other gods. The Most High
260
rules the Netherese, but Rivalen is their spiritual
leader. His Dome of Night in Shade Enclave is the
center of Shar’s worship in the world. Rivalen’s miraculous powers also protect the Princes of Shade from
violent death—and he makes sure they know it.
Other Princes
The other ten sons of Telamont oversee various
aspects of the empire, working together to further the
aims of their father. Prince Clariburnus is a general
of the armies of Netheril, as is his brother Yder, who
is also the chief templar of the Dome of Night. Aglarel
is the leader of the Most High’s private legions and
Telamont’s personal bodyguard. Brennus, Faould,
Lamorak, Melegaunt, and the identical twins Mattick
and Vattick manage various government functions.
Dethud is head of Netheril’s intelligence forces. He
has a reputation for quiet wisdom and regularly
advises all the Princes of Shade.
Shades
BECOMING A SHADE IS SEEN AS A GREAT REWARD for
service to the empire. The most powerful Netherese
are usually shades.
A shade retains its original appearance, but with a
gaunt, drawn look. Its skin takes on a dull hue, and its
eyes become slightly luminous. It no longer needs to
eat or sleep, and its aging slows to a crawl. As a shade
grows older, its appearance becomes darker and more
monstrous, with strange features such as sharp teeth.
“Shade” is a template that can be added to any
humanoid creature; most shades were once human. A
shade can fill any role or be a member of any class.
Prerequisites: Humanoid, level 11
Rituals: Any shade who meets the requirements
can learn the Shadow Walk ritual (PH 312) from
other shades who know it.
Shade
Elite (Any Role)
Shadow humanoid
XP Elite
Senses darkvision
Benighted Presence aura 10; light-producing effects within the
aura whose level is lower than the shade’s can create only dim
light.
Defenses +2 AC, +2 Fortitude, +2 Reflex, +2 Will
Saving Throws +2
Action Point 1
Hit Points +6 per level (artillery, lurker)/+8 per level (controller,
skirmisher, soldier)/+10 per level (brute) + Constitution score
Regeneration 10 paragon/15 epic (If the shade takes radiant
damage, its regeneration doesn’t function on its next turn.)
Shadow Stride (move; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Teleportation
A shade can teleport 20 squares but must end its move in dim
light or darkness. (More powerful shades might recharge this
power more often.)
Coalescing Darkness
If a shade moves 3 or more squares by any means, it is cloaked
with supernatural darkness, gaining total concealment.
Skills Shades have a +5 racial bonus to Stealth checks.
6/18/08 8:01:29 AM
N ET H E R I L
Example Shade: Naramus
NARAMUS IS A KNIGHT OF SHADE. He commands
squads of shadar-kai, coordinating and sometimes
directly overseeing missions. His primary duty is the
defense of the city of Shade, although he occasionally provides support for important shadow caravans
(page 177).
Naramus
Level 11 Elite Skirmisher (Leader)
Medium shadow humanoid
XP 1,200
Initiative +11
Benighted Presence aura 10; light-producing eff ects within the
aura whose level is lower than Naramus’s can create only dim
light.
Regeneration 10 (If Naramus takes radiant damage, his regeneration doesn’t function on his next turn.)
Saving Throws +2
Speed 5; see also shadow stride
Action Point 1
m Bastard Sword (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 1d10 + 7 damage (crit 1d6 + 17).
r Gloom Chakram (standard; at-will) ✦ Force
Ranged 5; +15 vs. AC; 2d6 + 4 force damage
M Arcing Swings (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Naramus makes two basic melee attacks and shifts 1 square
after the first attack.
M Disrupting Strike (standard; recharge ⚅) ✦ Force, Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 3d10 + 7 damage plus ongoing 5 force damage
(save ends).
Triumphant Cry (free, when Naramus scores a critical hit or
reduces an enemy to 0 hit points; at-will)
Naramus or an ally within 20 squares can make a melee or
ranged attack.
Shadow Stride (move; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Teleportation
Naramus can teleport 20 squares but must end his move in dim
light or darkness.
Coalescing Darkness
If Naramus moves 3 or more squares by any means, he is
cloaked with supernatural darkness, gaining total concealment.
Alignment Evil
Languages Common, NetheresePG
Skills Diplomacy +15, Intimidate +15, Insight +12, Stealth +12
Str 23 (+11)
Dex 18 (+9)
Wis 14 (+7)
Con 18 (+9)
Int 12 (+6)
Cha 21 (+10)
Equipment plate armor, heavy shield, bastard sword
Naramus’s Tactics
S A M WO O D
Naramus leads boldly from the front as an example to
his followers and prefers to challenge the strongestlooking opponent. Before closing, he launches a gloom
chakram (a disk of solid shadow). He is mobile in
combat, using shadow stride to gain the most advantageous position, and smashes a foe with disrupting
strike whenever possible. Whenever he lands a telling
blow, Naramus howls with glee, inspiring his allies.
Servants of Shade
Over the long years, the Shadovar mixed shadow
essence and even the blood of fiends with human
stock to create servitors.
Krinth
Since their creation, these dour, gray-skinned
humanoids have been slaves to the Shadovar. They
are capable and nearly fearless warriors who serve
their masters with suicidal abandon. But the taint of
demonic heritage makes them reckless and bloodthirsty. Since the appearance of the shadar-kai, the
krinth population has been declining precipitously
and will soon die out altogether.
Shadar-Kai
The Spellplague and its reshaping of the cosmos had
a strange effect on some Netherese. Their acclimation to centuries in Shadow caused them to transform
into or give birth to shadelike beings. Prince Rivalen
declared this to be a miracle sent by Shar. He dubbed
the changed people shadar-kai, which has become the
common term for the race.
Shadovar youths entering adolescence sometimes
become shadar-kai, though this phenomenon is
waning. Shadar-kai breed true with one another, and
their unions with humans also produce shadar-kai.
Rivalen has also devised a ritual to turn any human
into a shadar-kai, not unlike that used to create a
shade.
C H A P T ER 4 | C h ara c te r C l a sses
261
6/18/08 8:01:29 AM
Netherese shadar-kai have existed for more than
three generations. They are a privileged class, not
quite as blessed as shades, but given unique training.
Shadar-kai agents work schemes to better Netheril’s
hold on Faerûn, and gather resources and information from all over. Most of them long to become true
shades.
Not all shadar-kai serve Netheril. Many flee the
empire to make their own way in the world. Others
are offspring of humans who broke with Shade long
ago or who refused to cross out of the Shadowfell.
Netheril’s shadar-kai usually worship Shar and
tend more toward evil behavior than their non-Netherese counterparts. Those of the Shadowfell are given
to macabre and thrill-seeking behavior: Many revere
Tempus, though a few follow Shar, Cyric, Beshaba, or
even Asmodeus. A rare few hold Tymora in highest
esteem.
Thaaluds
KNOWN AS “TOMB TAPPERS” TO ADVENTURERS across
Faerûn, thaaluds were first constructed by the
ancient Netherese. Now, with the return of the Shadovar, the ritual of their creation is once again known to
the world, and an increasing number of thaaluds protect Netheril’s settlements and roam the Underdark.
Thaalud
Thaalud Tactics
A thaalud can sense vibrations in most substances,
and it uses this information to locate and strike
enemies. It can even use this ability while below the
ground. Thaaluds try to burrow up under enemies
and attack them unexpectedly. A thaalud begins a
battle with spike stones to reduce its foes’ maneuverability, then relies on its devastating melee capability
to pound its foes.
Thaalud Lore
Arcana DC 15: Within Netheril, thaaluds not
only serve as guards, but they’re also capable builders
and even act as siege weapons. They can’t speak but
understand the languages of their creators. Lesser
and greater thaaluds also exist.
Arcana DC 20: All thaaluds have the supernatural ability to mold stone into a desired shape, if
crudely. Some are capable of fine craftwork, using
mundane tools after the stone is shaped.
History DC 20: With the return of Netheril, a
number of free thaaluds that still survived in the
Underdark went back to their old masters. Since that
time, their numbers have grown tremendously.
Level 20 Elite Soldier
FR ANCIS TSAI
Huge natural animate (construct)
XP 5,600
Initiative +15
Senses Perception +16; blind, blindsight 20
Immune poison; Resist 10 cold, 10 fire, 10 lightning
Saving Throws +2
Speed 8 (earth walk), burrow 2 (tunneling)
Action Point 1
m Maul (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
r Thrown Maul (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Ranged 10/20; +26 vs. AC; 2d8 + 11 damage. The maul returns
to the thaalud’s grasp at the end of its turn.
M Double Attack (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
The thaalud makes two melee basic attacks.
M Sweeping Maul (standard; at-will) ✦ Weapon
Requires maul; reach 3; +20 vs. AC; 2d8 + 11 damage, and
the target is pushed 2 squares and is knocked prone. Hit: The
thaalud can make a melee basic attack against another creature within reach.
A Spike Stones (standard; encounter) ✦ Zone
Area burst 3 within 20; +24 vs. AC; 1d8 damage, and the target
is slowed (save ends). Critical Hit: As above, but the target takes
a –5 penalty to its saving throw to end the slowed condition.
The zone is difficult terrain until the end of the encounter.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages understands Common
and NetheresePG; telepathy 20
Skills Arcana +21
Str 30 (+20)
Dex 17 (+13)
Wis 12 (+11)
Con 22 (+16)
Int 22 (+16)
Cha 24 (+17)
Equipment +1 adamantine magic maul
262
6/18/08 8:01:30 AM
N ET H E R I L
Veserab
A VESERAB IS A 10-FOOT-LONG, FLYING CREATURE
that resembles a cross between an eyeless
lamprey and a bat.
Veserab Lore
A character knows the following information
with a successful Arcana check.
DC 20: Wild veserabs exist in numbers only
in the wilds of the Shadowfell. There they form pairs
or small flocks, each led by its largest female member
(females are larger than males).
DC 30: Veserabs are trained as mounts for the
privileged of Netheril. In Faerûn, the beasts are most
common in Sakkors and Shade Enclave, where flying
is often a necessity.
Veserab
Level 6 Lurker
Large shadow beast (mount)
XP 250
Initiative +11
Senses Perception +11; blind, blindsight 20
HP 60; Bloodied 30
Immune noxious breath
Speed 4 (clumsy), fly 8
m Wing Claw (standard; at-will)
+11 vs. AC; 1d6 + 5 damage; see also diving wing rake.
C Noxious Breath (standard; encounter) ✦ Poison, Zone
Close blast 4; +9 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 3 poison damage, and
the target takes a –2 penalty to all defenses until the end of the
veserab’s next turn. This power creates a zone of black, noxious
fumes that remains in place until the end of the encounter. This
zone blocks line of sight, and a creature that enters or ends its
turn in the zone takes 5 poison damage. Veserabs are immune
to this power’s effects.
M Diving Wing Rake (standard; at-will)
The veserab makes a charge attack, making two wing claw
attacks. After attacking, the veserab moves up to 1 square and
lands in an unoccupied space.
Dark Wings (when mounted by a friendly rider of 6th level or
higher; at-will)
The veserab’s rider gains resist 5 poison and is immune to the
effects of any veserab’s noxious breath.
Combat Advantage
The veserab deals an extra 1d6 damage on melee attacks
against any target it has combat advantage against.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages —
Skills Stealth +12
Str 20 (+8)
Dex 18 (+7)
Wis 17 (+6)
Con 17 (+6)
Int 2 (–1)
Cha 4 (+0)
JAMES ZHANG
Veserab Tactics
Wild veserabs attack anything they think they can
kill and eat; a mount is under the control of its rider.
In combat, a veserab first looses its noxious breath,
then dives to attack targets caught within the area. It
usually targets the smallest or weakest-looking creature, hoping for an easy meal. Veserabs stagger the
use of their breath weapons when hunting together.
Encounter Groups
Netherese agents, mostly human or shadar-kai, are
involved in plots of every kind, just about anywhere.
Shadow creatures and undead, such as wraiths,
shadow dragons, death giants, fell wyverns, and even
a dracolich, are prominent among Netheril’s forces.
The empire also has vast numbers of wicked humanoid slaves and makes alliances with similar creatures,
such as orcs from the Kingdom of Many-Arrows.
✦ 1 shadar-kai gloomblade (level 6 lurker with mount
advantage)
✦ 1 shadar-kai chainfighter (level 6 skirmisher with
mount advantage)
✦ 2 veserabs (level 6 lurker, shadar-kai mounts)
✦ 2 shadow hounds (level 6 skirmisher)
✦ Naramus (level 11 elite soldier [leader])
✦ 1 flameskull (level 8 artillery)
✦ 1 shadar-kai warrior (level 8 soldier)
✦ 1 dark stalker (level 10 lurker)
✦ 5 orc warriors (level 9 minion)
✦ 1 shade lich wizard (level 22 elite artillery)
✦ 1 tormenting ghost (level 21 controller)
✦ 2 thaaluds (level 20 elite soldier)
26 3
6/18/08 8:01:30 AM
The Order of Blue Fire is widely held to be a benevolent group of spellscarred who wish to help others
while learning more about the Spellplague’s effects.
Order of Blue Fire Lore
History DC 35: The Masters of Absolute Accord
formed in or near Deep Imaskar (page 222) during
the Spellplague. They are still imprisoned near
that Underdark city, and they can manipulate
plaguelands and send visions to the spellscarred. Their guidance is more coherent
than that of the sharns (see below) but still
strengthens and spreads the Spellplague.
Religion DC 30: The order’s public face
is a front for a more sinister organization. It
was originally a cult dedicated to the idea that
the Spellplague was a holy cosmic event whose
work should be continued.
Sharns are held to be expressions of a Spellplague
godhead by those who follow the deepest precepts
of the order. At times they issue erratic, contradictory, and even illogical dictates to the cult, leading to
miraculous and terrible events that spread and nurture existing active pockets of Spellplague.
Streetwise DC 35: The Order of Blue Fire is
actually the origin of many problems it is supposedly trying to solve. Trying to convince anyone of this
fact is nearly impossible, though, given the order’s
good reputation. Its officials disavow knowledge of
EXPANDING THE
ORDER’S RANKS
The accordants presented here are archetypal Order
of Blue Fire members designed to work with sharns in
plaguelands, which are adventure sites best suited to
characters in the upper heroic or paragon tier.
It’s easy to make other accordants of levels lower or
higher than these examples, following the guidelines in
Chapter 10 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. For instance,
Zhent mercenaries (page 282) could easily be lower-level
accordant operatives. You can readily change an accordant’s race by adding racial traits and adjusting its ability
scores accordingly.
You can also use the information on spellscars in the
FORGOTTEN REALMS Player’s Guide to make unique spellscarred
and even plaguechanged NPCs or monsters. The powers
of these example accordants are a good starting point for
designing original ones. These people are downright weird,
so run with that to create fun adversaries for your players.
264
the activities of members who seem to be working to
foster the Spellplague and its changes.
Organization
The Order of Blue Fire has branches in many settlements throughout Faerûn. It maintains hospices
for housing and educating the spellscarred. Order
houses contain lore collections and teachers to
educate the populace about plaguelands and the
Spellplague. The houses are also bases for experts
equipped to handle out-of-control spellscarred
and plaguechanged creatures, usually without
recompense. For these reasons the order is often
welcome and respected in a community.
Deeper within the order are fanatics bent
on changing the world according to the
teachings of the sharns and the Masters
of Absolute Accord. They work subtly to
unleash Spellplague-related problems within
civilized areas. Within plaguelands, however,
these extremists act with impunity.
Leader: Sharns and the Masters of Absolute
Accord are the hidden leaders of the order.
Headquarters: Ormpetarr in the Vilhon Wilds
(see page 193).
Hierarchy: Most of the organization is informal,
with the most competent or senior members taking a
leadership role in a given cell. Commanders care for
those in need and are willing to take in Spellplague
energies to control them; they often serve as leaders
and proselytizers. Loremasters are arcanist philosophers who teach and accumulate knowledge, and
knights protect the order’s holdings and help control
Spellplague manifestations, taking command only in
military operations.
Members: Much of the order’s membership is
made up of spellscarred people, but the service
operations of the society accept nearly all capable
volunteers. Since working with Spellplague manifestations is part of the order’s doctrine, the group’s
higher echelons include more spellscarred members.
Those inducted into the inner mysteries take the title
“accordant” in addition to other titles; for example,
knight accordant.
Order members also undertake scar pilgrimages
to plaguelands, hoping to increase and spread knowledge about such places. Some who venture beyond
such territories’ twisted borders manage to return
with wondrous tales. Those within the order honor
such brave pilgrims, whether they survive or not. Few
outside the order consider them more than mad or
foolhardy.
Blue Fire Accordants
ZEALOTS AMONG THE ORDER OF BLUE FIRE form an
inner circle of agents that advance the order’s true
MIKE SCHLEY
ORDER OF BLUE FIRE
6/18/08 8:01:30 AM
Knight Accordant
Level 10 Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, human, spellscarred
XP 500
Initiative +8
HP 105; Bloodied 52
Speed 5
m War Pick (standard; at-will) ✦ Force, Weapon
+17 vs. AC; 1d8 + 6 plus 3 force damage (critical 1d8 + 14 plus
3 force), and the target is marked.
r Longbow (standard; at-will) ✦ Force, Weapon
Ranged 20/40; +13 vs. AC; 1d10 + 1 plus 3 force damage, and
the target is marked.
Blue Fire Spike (minor; recharge ⚂ ⚃ ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Force
Until the start of the knight’s next turn, the knight’s weapons
become energy, attacking the target’s Reflex instead of AC and
dealing an extra 1d10 force damage.
Knight’s Eye (immediate reaction, when an adjacent enemy shifts
or an adjacent enemy marked by the knight attacks an ally; atwill) ✦ Force, Weapon
The knight makes a basic melee attack against the enemy.
Forceful Critical
On a critical hit with any attack, the target also slides 1 square.
Alignment Any
Languages Common, one regional
languagePG
Skills Endurance +11, Intimidate +12
Str 22 (+11)
Dex 12 (+6)
Wis 19 (+9)
Con 17 (+8)
Int 10 (+5)
Cha 15 (+7)
Equipment scale armor, heavy shield, war pick, longbow, 20
arrows
Knight Accordant Tactics
Knight accordants do whatever it takes to protect
more vulnerable allies. They engage opponents in
melee and maneuver to provide combat advantage to
other knights. A knight accordant uses blue fire spike
whenever possible to take adversaries down quickly.
Loremaster Accordant
Level 11 Artillery
XP 600
Initiative +5
HP 90; Bloodied 45
Speed 6
m Force Staff (standard; at-will) ✦ Force, Weapon
+15 vs. AC; 1d8 force damage.
r Changing Ray (standard; at-will) ✦ Force, Polymorph
Ranged 10; a blue ray warps the target momentarily; +16 vs.
Reflex; 1d8 + 6 force damage, and the target is dazed until the
end of the loremaster’s next turn.
C Changing Wave (standard; encounter) ✦ Polymorph
Close blast 5; a wave of blue fire sweeps away from the
loremaster, warping the forms of those caught in it; +15 vs. Fortitude; 1d4 + 6 damage, and the target is slowed and weakened
until the end of the loremaster’s next turn.
R Accordant Vision (standard; encounter) ✦ Psychic
Ranged 20; +15 vs. Will; 1d12 + 6 psychic damage, and the
target is dazed (save ends).
Alignment Any
Languages Common, one regional
languagePG
Skills Arcana +16, Dungeoneering +14, History +16, Insight +14
Str 10 (+5)
Dex 11 (+5)
Wis 19 (+9)
Con 17 (+8)
Int 22 (+11)
Cha 12 (+6)
Equipment robes, quarterstaff
Loremaster Accordant Tactics
In battle, a loremaster accordant remains behind
allied knights, using changing wave to weaken multiple targets as soon as the opportunity arises. The
loremaster then sends an accordant vision to cripple
enemies’ damage-dealing and defensive capabilities.
He focuses on changing rays for offense, attacking with
his blue-flamed staff only as a last resort.
Commander Accordant
Level 11 Skirmisher (Leader)
XP 600
Initiative +11
HP 113; Bloodied 56
Speed 6; see also changing shift
m Spellplague Touch (standard; at-will) ✦ Force
+14 vs. Reflex; 1d4 + 6 force damage, and the target takes
ongoing 5 force damage (save ends).
r Spellplague Orb (standard; at-will) ✦ Force
Ranged 20; +14 vs. Reflex; 1d4 + 6 force damage, and the
target takes ongoing 5 force damage (save ends).
M Spellplague Spirit (standard; sustain standard; encounter) ✦
Force, Polymorph
The commander becomes a spirit of blue fire. He becomes
insubstantial and can enter and move through enemies’ spaces
and porous obstacles that would otherwise prevent movement
(such as a door or a cracked window). The commander makes
a melee basic attack against any creature whose space he or
she enters but cannot attack a target more than once in this
fashion.
C Blue Fire Succor (minor; recharge ⚄ ⚅) ✦ Healing
Close bur

Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide

Transcription

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